PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — It’s become sort of a tradition: as the Three Rivers Arts Festival rolls into town, so too do strong storms.

Gusty winds and rain had many artists battening down the hatches this afternoon. As they worked to secure their tents and wares, visitors not armed with umbrellas were left running for cover. The wind toppled trash cans downtown and reports of downed trees and wires have started coming in from around Allegheny County.

After the soggy spring that we’ve been having, June — and the Arts Fest — got off to a relatively dry start; but for many parts of the area, that all changed earlier today as showers and storms have been moving across the area.

KDKA-TV Meteorologist Dennis Bowman says a complex of thunderstorms created some episodes of severe weather in counties north of Pittsburgh this morning. Numerous reports of trees down came in from Sharon and Jamestown in Mercer County and along State Route 14, just west of Columbiana in Ohio.

In addition, some heavy rain and hail moved through our northern counties.

Though the National Weather Service had issues a severe thunderstorm watch for Beaver and Butler Counties as well as points north, all severe weather alerts have now expired.

While none of the watches or warnings remain in effect, you may want to keep that umbrella on hand and an eye on the sky for the rest of the day. Dennis warns that additional storms may develop this afternoon in an increasingly humid air mass. Any storms that do develop this afternoon, however, should end shortly after sunset.

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