Multiple area schools have announced early dismissal due to severe thunderstorms forecast for Monday afternoon.

Panther Valley has announced early dismissal: 12:30 p.m. for high school, 1:15 intermediate and elementary school.

Jim Thorpe Area School District moved up dismissal by three hours, to 11:30 a.m. at the high school and 12:30 p.m. at the L.B. Morris and Penn-Kidder campuses. There is no afternoon pre-K. It also canceled after-school activities.

Administrators said the decision was due to severe weather forecast during the time when students would be riding and getting off the bus.

Marian Catholic High School has also announced an early dismissal. Dismissal for Marian students from Jim Thorpe was moved to 11:30 a.m.; Weatherly/Panther Valley, 11:45 a.m.; Mahanoy, Tamaqua, North Schuylkill, Shenandoah, Lehighton and Palmerton, noon; student drivers, noon. Transportation for Hazleton Area students is not available until 2:35 p.m.

Carbon-Lehigh Intermediate Unit is also canceling preschool today at Jim Thorpe.

Tamaqua elementary students are dismissing at 12:45 p.m.

The forecast calls for showers, thunderstorms and a possible tornado.

Some storms could be severe, with large hail, damaging winds, and heavy rain, according to the National Weather Service.

The high is near 74. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch are possible.

Tonight, showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 8 p.m. Some of the storms could be severe. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 53. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.