More severe storms possible Tuesday as heat index climbs past 100

Less than 24 hours after several confirmed tornadoes touched down across DeKalb County and northern Illinois, possible severe storms are headed to the area again Tuesday, as heat indices rise past 100 degrees.

According to the National Weather Service, northern Illinois is under a heat advisory from noon through 7 p.m. Tuesday, with dangerous heat index values up to 110 expected, the service warns.

Hot temperatures and high humidity can cause heat illnesses to occur in fewer than a half hour when in direct sunlight.

“We’re certainly messaging everybody to take proper heat precautions, drink a lot of water, stay in the shade,” said Romeoville-headquartered National Weather Service meteorologist Rafal Ogorek.

The area is also under a hazardous weather outlook, with an elevated thunderstorm risk, limited tornado and quarter-size hail risk, elevated damaging winds up to 70 mph, a limited flood risk and an elevated excessive heat risk.

Ogorek said he doesn’t think Tuesday’s storm will be a repeat of Monday night’s severe weather, though.

“Regarding the storm threat tonight, it’s probably not going to be a repeat of what we saw yesterday,” Ogorek said. “We’re thinking more so they’re going to be thunderstorms that form across eastern Iowa, southern Wisconsin and thunderstorms or a line of thunderstorms could potentially move through area. There’s still some uncertainty of where that will track, its possible the area is missed entirely, but if not, it’s possible that you can see damaging winds. That would be primary threat, but we can’t rule out potential brief tornado.”