Poconos, Lehigh Valley under tornado watch ahead of high weekend temperatures

A tornado watch is in effect until 7 p.m. for a swath of the mid-Atlantic region stretching from northern Virginia to New Jersey, including much of eastern Pennsylvania.

Carbon, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Northampton and Pike are among the counties under the watch.

“Severe thunderstorm development is possible, but not certain, in association with a disturbance moving through this afternoon,” the National Weather Service in Mount Holly said on Friday morning, adding that 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. is the “most likely” window for storms.

A watch means that tornadoes are possible. A tornado warning is issued if one “has been sighted or indicated by weather radar,” according to the NWS.

A hot weekend will follow, with highs ranging from the upper 80s to mid-90s across the Poconos and Lehigh Valley, including a high near 95 on Saturday in Stroudsburg, according to the NWS.

That would be close to Stroudsburg’s record high temperature of 96 degrees, which the borough hit on June 30, 2021, as well as on four previous occasions.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has issued a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for 13 counties, including Lehigh and Northampton, on Saturday due to ozone.

The orange level of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Air Quality Index indicates "unhealthy pollution levels for sensitive groups of people," according to DEP.

"Plenty of sunshine, light southwest winds, and high temperatures surpassing 90 degrees will likely contribute to 8-hour average concentrations of ozone in the Code Orange range on Saturday," DEP said in a press release.

DEP advises that "young children, the elderly, and those with respiratory problems, such as asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis, are especially vulnerable to the effects of air pollution and should limit outdoor activities."

All residents in areas experiencing the Code Orange day are "strongly encouraged" to take action to help limit ozone pollution, such as driving less and conserving electricity.

This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: NWS: Tornado watch issued for part of northeast Pa., heat to follow