A severe thunderstorm warning for Lehigh, Berks, Schuylkill and Carbon counties was canceled at 7 last night because a line of storms passed quickly over Pennsylvania, leaving little damage.
The National Weather Service had issued the storm warning yesterday afternoon.
Meteorologist Bill Dovico, who monitors Lehigh Valley weather conditions from a station at the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton Airport, said authorities in Berks County reported tree damage due to high winds that ripped through that county early last night.
A Berks County emergency radio dispatcher said she knew of no major accidents or incidents resulting from a thunderstorm that hit Reading about 6 p.m. and then downed power lines and tree branches as it moved into the outlying areas.
More than 12,000 customers of Pennsylvania Power & Light Co. were without electricity in Lancaster, Berks, Chester and Lebanon counties last night, spokeswoman Barbara Bertolet said.
Customers of Philadelphia Electric Co. in Philadelphia, Bucks, Delaware and Montgomery counties also suffered power outages, but no exact figures were available.
There was a report of severe wind damage in extreme western Schuylkill County from state police in that area, Dovico said.
A thunderstorm that produces winds greater than 58 mph or hail three-fourths of an inch or greater in diameter is considered a severe thunderstorm, Dovico said. He was uncertain of the wind speed that accompanied the rain in Berks County, and there was no hail, he said.
A line of thunderstorms traveling at 40 to 45 mph moved into western Pennsylvania early yesterday afternoon, Dovico said, and by 4 p.m. had reached central Pennsylvania.
The storms moved rapidly through the eastern part of the state and had reached the Delaware River by 7 p.m., Dovico said. The thunderstorm warning remained in effect beyond 7 p.m. for Pike, Monroe and Northampton counties, Dovico said.
Today's forecast calls for mostly sunny and windy conditions with a high in the low 70s. No rain is predicted until Thursday, when Dovico said showers are expected.