Will there be tornadoes in Illinois Thursday?
There’s a heightened risk for strong tornadoes as two waves of storms are expected to bring all severe weather hazards to the region.
The biggest threat for tornadoes, however, sits in the second round of storms.
“The second one is the one I’m most concerned about,” NBC 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Alicia Roman said.
That wave is expected to begin around 4 p.m.
According to the Storm Prediction Center, the entire Chicago area will be at an “enhanced risk” of severe weather, the third of five levels.
The window for the peak tornado threat is expected to continue until 8 p.m. And any that do develop could be strong.
“Maybe EF-1 or 2 or greater,” Roman said.
The National Weather Service reports the areas at a greatest risk for tornadoes will be suburbs north, northwest and west of Chicago.
“The threat for tornadoes will be the highest if storms can stay discrete or by themselves,” the NWS wrote on X. “The main source of uncertainty is where the warm front will stall this evening. It may be in northern Illinois or southern Wisconsin.”
The agency urged residents to “take tornado warnings seriously” and have multiple ways of getting alerts. (Download the NBC Chicago app for live updates throughout the evening)
The storms will still spread across much of the Chicago area through the evening, with widespread coverage by 7 p.m.
Wind gusts in excess of 60 mph are possible once again, one day after gusts tore through the region, leaving thousands without power, uprooting trees and damaging homes and buildings.
The quick-moving system is expected to begin moving out of the region around 10 p.m.
And once they do, they’ll be followed by a cold front that will send temperatures into the 60s overnight.
