Tornado warning issued in several counties - Americans living in these areas must take note

A tornado warning has been issued in several places in Central Illinois area of the USA. The National Weather Service says storms could become stronger over the next few hours. A Tornado Watch is active for most of Central Illinois until 4 p.m. CT Wednesday. This means tornadoes might happen, as per the reports.

Strong storms are coming from the west and will get stronger as they move eastward. News Channel 20 reports that strong thunderstorms may start in the next 5 to 6 hours. Even one small storm could become a big thunderstorm or even a tornado. The biggest danger today is strong winds, not tornadoes or hail, as per the reports by WAND News.

The strongest storms are expected to hit the I-57 corridor in Illinois during the afternoon hours. Expected to move around between 3pm to 4 pm, areas on the eastern side of I-57 are at the highest risk.


The response time to the storms and the movement towards shelter needs to be just a few minutes as its expected to move at a very fast rate. After 5 p.m., only light, scattered showers are expected into the night. Thursday and Friday will be much calmer. The weekend will be hot and humid, and heat advisories might be issued, according to the report by WAND News.

What's happening in the St. Louis region?

The tornado watch was cancelled for most of the St. Louis area by Wednesday afternoon. As of 12:30 p.m., only a few Illinois counties in the St. Louis region is still under a tornado. A tornado warning was issued for northern St. Louis region until 11:30 a.m., including Pike County, Illinois.

It was also issued for Pike County, Missouri, but that was cancelled later. In northwestern Calhoun County, law enforcement confirmed a damaging tornado. Wednesday evening more severe storms are expected. A Weather Impact Alert is in effect until 10 p.m, as reported by 5 On Your Side.

The Storm Prediction Center says most of the area has a medium risk level 2 or 3 out of 5 for severe weather today. Even though storms are expected, not everyone will see strong ones. The storms today may not be as intense as earlier in the spring, as per the report by 5 On Your Side.

FAQs

Q1. What is a Tornado warning?
It means a tornado is happening or seen, take shelter immediately.

Q2. When will the storms come?
Some could come within the next hour and may last until around 4 p.m.