Thunderstorms blow through the area; tornado touches down in Morgantown

A storm system that has moved east in recent days blew through Southeastern Pennsylvania Tuesday night, bringing wind gusts, hail the size of quarters in some areas, and a tornado that touched down in southern Berks County.

Authorities began receiving calls from residents in the Morgantown area about a tornado that touched down about 6 p.m., according to the Berks County Department of Emergency Services. No injuries were reported.

After watching a video of the twister, the National Weather Service acknowledged late Tuesday night that a tornado had indeed landed in Morgantown. The agency said it expected to have a final assessment of the tornado by Wednesday evening.

Outside Philadelphia, the storm grew in intensity around western Chester County and eastern Berks, with meteorologists spotting several thunderstorms moving southeast, at 50 mph, from Newtown Square to West Grove. Generally, winds were blowing in the area at 60 mph, forecasts showed. Further east, heavy rain and hail fell in the Philadelphia suburbs. And in Philadelphia itself, rain fell steadily with mild winds in Center City.

The system, the remnants of a weather system that led to tornadoes in the Midwest, brought lightning to some areas and delayed the 7 p.m. start to the Phillies game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park for nearly an hour.

Forecasters were not offering any relief any time soon: More thunderstorms were predicted for Wednesday.