Tornadoes, 'Explosive' Thunderstorms Could Hit Illinois

ILLINOIS — Tornadoes are possible as severe weather will move into the Chicago area on Friday afternoon and evening, according to the National Weather Service.

Two rounds of storms are possible Friday, with the first from 2 to 6 p.m., and the second from 6 to 11 p.m.

AccuWeather said the Chicago area is at high risk for tornadoes, torrential rainfall, hail and damaging winds of 70 to 80 mph.

The severe weather threat includes damaging winds, tornadoes and damaging hail, the National Weather Service said.

"This is a relatively rare, significant severe weather threat for our area," the weather service noted.

The weather service advised having multiple ways to get weather warnings, including a way to wake you up.

Destructive winds greater than 75 mph are possible, and damaging hail could occur, mainly during round one of the storms. The weather service said the hail could be capable of denting cars and siding.

In AccuWeather's Friday forecast for Joliet, the private forecaster said "storms can bring flooding downpours, hail, damaging wind gusts and an isolated tornado." AccuWeather also called for "explosive thunderstorm development," with storms threatening a large swath of the country, including Chicago, St. Louis, Little Rock and Indianapolis.

After storms move out of the area, there will also be non-thunderstorm winds of 45 mph, mainly near and south of Interstate 80, according to the weather service.