CHAMPAIGN – Severe thunderstorms in Illinois caused tornadoes and other hazards on Wednesday afternoon.
Meterorologist Andrew Pritchard captured a picture of a large tornado around 5:20 p.m. in Divernon, a small community 16 miles south of Springfield in Sangamon County.
“This was a large tornado that developed very quickly,” said Pritchard. “There was a little brief touchdown… and within 20-30 seconds this was a significant tornado. The wind shear is very high in southwestern Illinois. These storms have been able to rotate quite easily.”
Around the same time, the National Weather Service issued Tornado Warnings for Ford and Iroquois counties north of Champaign.
We’re still waiting for damage reports following both tornado reports.
The National Weather Service issued a Tornado Watch for Champaign, Coles, Douglas and Vermilion Counties until Wednesday at 11:00 p.m.