Severe Weather Strikes Midwest, Chicago at Risk

Chicago finds itself under threat from severe weather for the second consecutive day. The forecast suggests widespread storms on Thursday.

Tornadoes hit Illinois as powerful storms moved across the Midwest, with more expected through the evening. The National Weather Service issued a tornado emergency near Peoria, Ill., after 5 p.m. local time. This alert is issued for large and possibly destructive tornadoes. No widespread damage was reported from the tornado affecting La Rose, Toluca, and Wenona in Illinois.

The region experienced repeated tornado warnings since early afternoon. Reports of strong winds and hail came from Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Missouri. Forecasters identified the area near the Great Lakes, including Chicago, as having the highest risk.

By Thursday morning, the Storm Prediction Center announced a severe weather forecast for Chicago. The storms brought tornadoes, powerful winds, heavy rain, and hail, though there were no widespread damage reports. Over 200,000 homes and businesses lost power, as tracked by Poweroutage.com, partly due to previous storms the night before.

A massive warm and moist air mass over the region fuels the severe weather affecting areas from Texas to New England. Meteorologist Judson Jones, who covers extreme weather for The Times, provided these insights.