Severe weather threat ramps up Tuesday night

DECATUR, IL. (WAND) - The severe weather risk for Tuesday evening is starting to come into focus. Temperatures have soared well into the 70s and even some 80s early Tuesday afternoon.

As a warm front lifts across the region, there could be quickly developing strong to severe storms. That timeline would be from about 2-4 pm, and mainly for areas north of I-72. These would be very isolated, but could produce damaging hail and tornadoes.

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The main threat of severe storms will move in later Tuesday evening. The Storm Prediction Center has issued a Moderate (level 4 out of 5) threat for severe storms to develop. This is for areas north of I-74 and includes McLean, Ford, and Iroquois counties in the WAND viewing area. This area will need to be watched closely, as a level 4 risk is a strong indicator that tornadic activity is likely.

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Most of the I-72 corridor is under an enhanced (level 3 out of 5) threat for severe storms. While it is a lower risk level, this is still an indication that strong storms will move through the area. These storms will impact the region from 11 pm to 3 am Wednesday.

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Areas south of I-72 will be at a slight (level 2 out of 5) threat for severe storms. These storms will push through Central Illinois early Wednesday morning from 3 to 7 am. Strong winds and some hail will be the biggest threat.

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The bottom line with these storms is to be weather aware through the overnight hours. Have your phone charged and close enough to hear tornado warning alerts. Have a flashlight and batteries close by. Download the WAND weather app to get alerts sent directly to your phone.