Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Champaign, McLean, and Piatt Counties Until 8:00 PM

Source: NOAA · Central Illinois

This alert is no longer in effect.

NOAA issued it on April 3, 2026, 4 months ago. Warnings of this kind stay in effect for hours to a few days, so this page is a historical record of what was issued, not a current warning. For conditions where you are right now, check weather.gov (US), weather.gc.ca (Canada), the Met Office (UK), or the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia).

Areazine synthesizes this NWS weather alert directly from NOAA's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.

The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for parts of central Illinois, including Champaign and Urbana, as 60 mph wind gusts move through the area.

Read this weather record in 30 seconds

Record type
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Affected area
Central Illinois
Issued
April 3, 2026
Issuing authority
NWS Lincoln

Storm notices can cover different combinations of wind, hail, lightning, and rainfall. Use the original notice for the hazards and boundaries attached to this specific record.

Record status: historical. It was issued 4 months ago; use the issuing agency's live warning service for current conditions in Central Illinois.

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Lincoln has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning (NWS Alert Code: SVW) for northeastern Piatt County, southeastern McLean County, and Champaign County in central and east central Illinois. This alert is effective immediately and remains in place until 8:00 PM CDT.

Affected Areas

The warning covers a broad area of central Illinois, specifically targeting:

  • Champaign County
  • Northeastern Piatt County
  • Southeastern McLean County

Impacted cities and locations include Champaign, Urbana, Mahomet, Tolono, Fisher, Bondville, Sadorus, Willard Airport, Seymour, Lake Of The Woods, Savoy, Rantoul, Philo, Thomasboro, St. Joseph, Gifford, and Ogden.

Travelers on the following highways should exercise extreme caution:

  • Interstate 57 between mile markers 218 and 257
  • Interstate 72 between mile markers 170 and 182
  • Interstate 74 between mile markers 164 and 197

What You Should Do

For your protection, move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Residents should also remain alert for the possibility of a tornado, as they can develop quickly from severe thunderstorms. If a tornado is spotted, go at once to a basement or a small central room. A Tornado Watch remains in effect for the region until 10:00 PM CDT.

Expected Conditions

Radar indicates severe thunderstorms moving northeast at 55 mph. The primary hazard is 60 mph wind gusts. These conditions are expected to cause damage to roofs, siding, and trees.

Timeline

  • Issued: March 15, 6:58 PM CDT
  • Effective: 6:58 PM CDT
  • Expires: 8:00 PM CDT

Storms were located near Saybrook and Ivesdale at approximately 6:58 PM and are projected to reach the Champaign-Urbana area around 7:10 PM and Rantoul by 7:15 PM.

Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about this NWS weather alert.

What is this NWS weather alert about?
The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for parts of central Illinois, including Champaign and Urbana, as 60 mph wind gusts move through the area.
Which agency issued this alert?
This alert was issued by NOAA. The original notice is available at the source link at the bottom of this article.
How severe is this alert?
This alert is classified as "high" severity. Take precautions and monitor for updates.
What area is affected?
This alert affects Central Illinois. Check with NOAA for the most current geographic scope.
Where can I find more Weather Alerts updates?
Browse the full Weather Alerts feed on Areazine at areazine.com/weather/ for the latest updates from NOAA and other agencies.