A fast-moving line of severe thunderstorms swept across Bowie, Maryland, and the greater Washington metropolitan area on Wednesday evening, July 9–10, producing a dramatic shelf—also classified as a wall—cloud that towered over the northeastern suburbs. The National Weather Service issued simultaneous tornado and flash-flood warnings for the District, northern Virginia and central Maryland as Doppler radar detected rotation south of Baltimore around 6:18 p.m. Fox 5 meteorologist Tucker Barnes said the low-hanging wall cloud is often a precursor to tornado formation. Local officials reported downed trees, scattered power outages and at least three lightning-related emergencies in Montgomery County, including two house fires. No injuries were immediately confirmed, but crews worked into the night to clear debris and restore electricity. Forecasters warn that the unsettled pattern is likely to persist, with additional rounds of thunderstorms possible through the end of the week amid unusually warm and humid mid-Atlantic conditions.