A tornado watch was issued Sunday afternoon until 7 p.m. for an area with over 10.5 million residents spanning 10 counties in northeastern Illinois and five counties in northern Indiana. The National Weather Service said forecasts also included the possibility of scattered hail as big as ping pong balls and widespread wind gusts up to 70 mph.
According to the agency, tornadoes can develop quickly, in which case people should take cover in a building’s basement, its lowest floor or an interior room.
The severe weather was expected to hit the Chicago metropolitan area between 1 and 4 p.m., said meteorologist Brett Borchardt of NWS Chicago. Temperatures for the day are also expected to climb into the lower 70s.
“It’s a good day just to be weather aware,” Borchardt said.
Other parts of Chicago not under the severe weather warning can still expect scattered storms this afternoon, which may still “pack a punch,” Borchardt said.
Temperatures for Monday and Tuesday are going to cool down, with highs in the 40s and a chance for light snowfall Monday morning. Those temperatures are then expected to climb again into the high 70s on Wednesday. There is another chance for severe weather on Wednesday too, not just in the Chicago area but across the Midwest, Borchardt said. The exact details of what severe weather for Wednesday will look like are still unclear.
“We’re in a very spring-like pattern with seesaw temperatures and chances for severe weather,” Borchardt said.