A tornado watch has been issued until 10 p.m. Tuesday for parts of DeKalb, La Salle, Lee, Ogle, Boone and Winnebago counties, according to the National Weather Service.
The alert was issued at 5:50 p.m. Tuesday.
A tornado watch means severe thunderstorms could bring the potential for tornadoes to occur, and residents should be prepared for the possibility that alerts may evolve into warnings.
A tornado warning means severe weather has been spotted by watchers or by radar and could mean imminent danger to life and property, according to the NWS. If a warning is issued, those in the vicinity should take shelter immediately.
Thunderstorms are expected throughout the night Tuesday into Wednesday morning across northern Illinois, and could bring with it risk of tornadoes, hail, flooding and damaging winds up to 60 mph, forecasts show.
Bands of showers and thunderstorms are expected, with the higher risk for more severe weather coming to areas along and west of Interstate 39, according to the NWS.
Thunderstorms are expected periodically before 1 p.m. Wednesday also.
This is a developing story that could be updated.