URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 234
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
1240 PM EDT Wed May 20 2026

The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of 
  District Of Columbia
  Maryland
  Southern Pennsylvania
  Northern Virginia
  Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia
  Coastal Waters

* Effective this Wednesday afternoon and evening from 1240 PM
  until 800 PM EDT.

* Primary threats include...
  Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph likely
  Isolated large hail events to 1 inch in diameter possible

SUMMARY...Thunderstorms will form and spread eastward across the
watch area this afternoon in a hot and unstable air mass. The
strongest cells will pose a risk of damaging wind gusts and hail.

The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 55
statute miles north and south of a line from 95 miles west southwest
of Martinsburg WV to 45 miles east of Harrisburg PA. For a complete
depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update
(WOUS64 KWNS WOU4).

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

REMEMBER...A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.
Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening
weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible
warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
tornadoes.

&&

AVIATION...A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
1 inch. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A few
cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector
26030.

...Hart