The National Weather Service has issued a “special weather statement” Wednesday, warning residents that conditions are favorable for the development of funnel clouds across north-central Illinois and northwest Indiana.
According to the alert, several funnel clouds have already been spotted in the area, with more possible as the day wears on.
Officials say that the funnel clouds will typically protrude several hundred feet downward, rotate or spin like a top, and last a few minutes before dissipating.
The funnel clouds rarely touch the ground, and generally don’t pose any sort of hazard, officials say. They can rarely touch down, and could produce very minimal damage.
Get Chicago local news, weather forecasts, sports and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Chicago newsletters.
Officials say that the NWS will continue to monitor the situation, and will issue watches or warnings if conditions change.