Seven tornado warnings were issued on Saturday night as severe storms ripped through the Philly region
"We have quite a few tornadoes to investigate tomorrow," says a weather service meteorologist.
Severe storms that routed what had been a splendid first afternoon of April ripped through the Philly region Saturday evening, setting off seven tornado warnings, filling the air with roaring winds and hailstones, and taking down numerous large trees, the National Weather Service said.
“We have quite a few tornadoes to investigate tomorrow,” said Ray Martin, a lead meteorologist at the weather service office in Mount Holly.
A wind gust of 62 mph was recorded at Philadelphia International Airport, and the weather service logged several reports of downed large trees — including some that fell into houses in Delaware — along with dime- and quarter-size hailstones.
At one point Peco and Atlantic Electric reported that about 20,000 customers were without power.
While what happened here would qualify merely as drive-by damage compared with the devastation in the South and Midwest, where at least 26 people were killed, it was related to that potent storm that spawned reports of 80 tornadoes on Friday.
» READ MORE: Torndoes kill at least 26 across the Midwest and South
Locally, one radar-confirmed tornado touched down near Georgetown, Del., the weather service said, setting off the first of seven tornado warnings issued between 6:22 and 7:33 p.m. Radar-indicated tornado warnings also were posted for portions of Philadelphia and Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Burlington, Mercer, and New Castle Counties.
The government’s Storm Prediction Center had posted a tornado watch for the entire Philadelphia region and most of New Jersey in effect until 10 p.m. Saturday, and the weather service office in Mount Holly had warned of the potential for twisters.
As what Martin described as a squall line with embedded thunderstorms pressed eastward, the sky turned disquieting shades of gray and winds roared frighteningly. A severe thunderstorm warning covered an extensive area in Southeastern Pennsylvania, northern Delaware, and New Jersey counties along the Delaware River.
A peak wind of 98 mph was recorded in Sussex County, and that likely was the work of a tornado, the weather service said
Very strong winds 3,000 to 5,000 feet above the surface were present to mix down and kick off gusts, said Dave Dombek, senior meteorologist with AccuWeather Inc.
The fact that the afternoon turned out to be brilliantly sunny and quite warm with temperatures climbing past 70 likely added energy for thunderstorms, Martin said. “It definitely hurt,” he said.
» READ MORE: Tornado counts have spiked dramatically around Philly and elsewhere. Here’s what is behind the surge.
The warmth could be attributed to the storm that caused all the mayhem in the South and Midwest. The front that set off the local storms was attached to that potent low-pressure system, which was headed toward the St. Lawrence Valley on Saturday. As part of the counterclockwise wind circulation around the center, Philly experienced strong, warming winds from the southwest.
After the front clears the region sometime late Saturday night, brisk winds will turn to the northwest and temperatures are due to tumble into the 30s by Sunday morning.
Sunday will be chilly for an April 2, with highs topping out in the low 50s, but the 60s and 70s will return early in the workweek.