Updated 5:20 p.m. Aug. 7.
Centre County was under a tornado watch for about four hours and the State College area was briefly under a tornado warning as strong thunderstorms moved through Pennsylvania on Monday.
The National Weather Service canceled the tornado watch at about 5 p.m. It was initially issued at 1 p.m. and expected to be in place until 9 p.m. Much of eastern Pennsylvania, along with Delaware, Maryland and Washington, D.C., remained under a tornado watch early Monday evening
A tornado watch means that tornadoes are possible in or near the watch area. A warning is issued if a tornado has been sighted or indicated by radar.
Parts of Centre County — including the State College, Pine Grove Mills, Stormstown and Boalsburg areas was under a tornado warning from 2 to 2:30 p.m. on Monday after radar indicated rotation in a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado over Warriors Mark and moving east at 20 mph.
Showers and severed thunderstorms throughout central Pennsylvania on Monday afternoon and evening, brought heavy rain and the potential for damaging winds and large hail, according to NWS at State College and AccuWeather.
Storms caused downed trees and power lines in State College, Ferguson Township, Unionville and Coburn, and a lightning strike reportedly caused a fire that destroyed a workshop at 122 McClellan Lane in Potter Township.
Tornadoes can develop quickly during severe storms, according to NWS.
“If you spot a tornado, act quickly and move to a place of safety inside a sturdy structure such as a basement or small interior room,” an NWS advisory stated.
