Series of tornado touchdowns downstate Wednesday
Tornadoes touched down briefly across five counties of central Illinois between 2 and 5 p.m. Wednesday. The touchdowns occurred southeast of Springfield. Preliminary reports through late Wednesday evening indicated limited damage and no apparent injuries. But, the twisters served as a reminder that April is the region’s most active tornado month.
Thundery downpours threaten Thursday morning’s rush hour. But, daytime heating to Chicago’s south, cold air aloft and diverging jet stream winds threaten to support new thunderstorm development later Thursday. The environment in which these storms may erupt could support rotation—a harbinger of severe weather including tornadoes. Weather watches may become necessary over parts of the area.
Wednesday’s downpours, the heaviest in 5 months, totaled 3.01” at Romeoville, 3.00” at nearby Joliet, 1.88” at Oak Brook and 1.61” at Midway Airport.
---By Tom Skilling, WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist