Severe storms are moving toward the Chicago area Friday evening, with hail, heavy rain, damaging winds and a few tornadoes possible. NBC Chicago says several counties are under a tornado watch until 8 p.m., and the National Weather Service is tracking the system closely.
Severe storms are moving into the Chicago area Friday evening, with hail, heavy rain, damaging winds and even a few tornadoes possible.
NBC Chicago’s live update says several counties are under a tornado watch until 8 p.m. The National Weather Service says most of northeastern Illinois is under an enhanced severe-weather risk.
What forecasters are watching
The main threats with this system are hail, downpours and damaging wind gusts. Forecasters are also watching for the possibility of isolated tornadoes as the storms develop and move through the region.
The National Weather Service Chicago office is actively tracking watches, warnings and radar through its severe-weather briefing pages for northern Illinois and northwest Indiana.
What happens next
The situation can change quickly as storms approach and move through the area. Residents in the watch area should pay attention to weather alerts and updates from the National Weather Service and local forecasters.
This is a developing weather event, and additional warnings could be issued later if storms intensify.
Revision note
Initial automated publication.