Roughly five million people across Illinois and Indiana have been placed under an urgent tornado warning as severe storms tear through the densely-populated Chicago area.
The National Weather Service has issued tornado warnings for multiple counties in Illinois as extreme winds and heavy rain move through the state on Tuesday.
‘Heavy rainfall may hide this tornado. Do not wait to see or hear the tornado. TAKE COVER NOW!’
Meteorologist Max Velocity reported that weather stations in Illinois have registered wind gusts exceeding 130 mph.
He added that radar scans made it clear multiple tornadoes had already touched down in northern Illinois, with the severe weather likely moving into Indiana as well.
‘This is an extremely dangerous situation. I cannot stress enough that you have to take shelter. Even if you are not under a tornado, you have to take shelter, even if you are under a severe thunderstorm warning,’ Velocity said in a YouTube livestream following the storms.
Drivers in Illinois and Indiana were seen taking shelter under overpasses, which Velocity noted was actually potentially deadly mistake, as winds actually get stronger and more dangerous under an overpass.
Torrential downpours and high winds were seen in Indiana at 12pm ET as the tornado warning stretched into Gary, Indiana, just 30 miles from Chicago.
Pictured: A major thunderstorm moves in on the city of Chicago (Stock Image)
National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for the Chicago area on August 11. Approximately five million people were in the path of the supercell
NWS warned residents throughout the area to find somewhere indoors to hide even if you cannot actually see or hear a tornado forming.
‘This cluster of thunderstorms is capable of producing tornadoes and widespread significant wind damage. Do not wait to see or hear the tornado. For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building,’ the agency wrote.
The widespread supercell, meaning a thunderstorm strong enough to create twisters, has also affected nearby states including Ohio, where more than 180,000 customers have lost power.
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Weather officials have issued urgent warnings of tornadoes in the Chicago area (Stock Image)
