NWS issues Tornado Watch for most of central Illinois

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - The National Weather Service issued a Tornado Watch for dozens of Illinois counties Wednesday afternoon.

The watch is in effect until 9 p.m. Wednesday.

The WAND Weather Team is monitoring a storm system approaching Illinois that is expected to have strong winds, hail, and has the potential for tornadoes. Winds could exceed 60 miles per hour.

A Wind Advisory issued earlier is in effect until 7 a.m. Thursday because of wind gusts approaching 50+ miles per hour. That's in addition to a Red Flag Warning across parts of Illinois due to drought conditions leading to elevated fire risks.

Wednesday's storms are expected along the I-74 corridor and could get stronger as they move east.

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