Urgent Tornado Warning Issued: Track the Storm Path, Timing & Essential Safety Steps Now

Residents across the Chicago metro area scrambled for shelter Tuesday evening as the National Weather Service issued a Tornado Warning for DuPage, Cook and Lake counties after Doppler radar indicated rotation near Lisle just after 8 p.m. CDT. Sirens sounded from Wheaton to downtown while broadcast meteorologists tracked the fast-moving cell racing northeast at 45 mph. At the height of the storm, live radar showed a well-defined hook echo over the western suburbs before the core crossed into the city, ripping shingles from rooftops in Glen Ellyn and toppling trees in Oak Park. Commuter rail service on Metra’s BNSF line paused until the warning expired at 8:30 p.m. Chicago’s alert capped a volatile day across the Midwest. By early evening, spotters had logged at least four separate Tornado Warnings in Iowa, Indiana and South Dakota, according to the real-time TornadoPath tracker. Meteorologists blame the outbreak on a potent cold front colliding with triple-digit heat indices baking the region for days. What happens next • Timing: Scattered supercells may redevelop overnight east of I-57 before a squall line sweeps through before dawn. Additional warnings can’t be ruled out. • Hazards: Along with isolated tornadoes, 70 mph wind gusts and golf-ball hail are possible. • Wednesday outlook: The boundary stalls near the Ohio Valley, shifting the tornado threat into Kentucky and West Virginia. Safety checklist 1. Keep your phone charged and emergency alerts enabled. 2. Identify the lowest, most interior room of your home; avoid windows. 3. If driving and a tornado is spotted, seek the nearest sturdy building—never an overpass. 4. Stock an emergency kit with water, medications and flashlights. Power & travel impacts ComEd reported more than 38,000 customers without electricity shortly after the warning expired; crews expect most service restored by Wednesday morning. O’Hare logged average delays of 55 minutes as ground stops were issued during the storm. Why it matters Illinois has already recorded a nation-leading 96 tornadoes in 2026, putting the state on pace for its busiest season on record. With the traditional peak of tornado activity shifting later into summer, experts urge residents to stay weather-aware even outside the classic spring window. Stay tuned here for real-time updates as new tornado warnings are issued overnight.