Tornado warnings were issued in the Chicago area and parts of northwest Indiana as strong storms made their way across the region, with multiple tornado touchdowns reported in Illinois.
The severe weather threat heightened late Monday morning as tornado watches and warnings were issued across several counties in the Chicago area.
A tornado warning was issued for LaPorte County in northwest Indiana until 12 p.m. CST after "a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over La Crosse."
"TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows," the alert stated.
Additional warnings were issued for Newton, Jasper and Porter counties.
A similar warning was briefly issued for central DuPage County with a thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado over Warrenville and Naperville. The storm was moving north at 35 mph and the warning expired around 10:15 a.m.
A tornado watch was also issued for parts of the area, including LaPorte, Newton and Jasper counties in northwest Indiana, until 3 p.m. CST.
Local
Just before 1 p.m., the National Weather Service reported the threat for severe weather had ended, but at least two tornadoes were confirmed to have touched down in the Chicago area during the storms. They included one in far western Joliet and one on the far north side of Naperville.
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Additional tornadoes may have been spotted in parts of northwest Indiana, but the NWS said additional information was still needed.
Residents across the Chicago area woke up to thunder, lightning, heavy downpours, gusty winds and storms, thanks to a strong system expected to last through at least the early afternoon.
And while the weather may be less severe in some parts of the region, other areas saw threats of localized flooding and damaging winds up to 60 miles per hour.
Although the strongest weather was expected to stay in southern Kankakee county and into northwest Indiana, the entire Chicago area was expected to see heavy downpours and storms throughout the morning.
