Severe Thunderstorm Warning Issued for Christian, Macon, and Sangamon Counties in Central Illinois
This alert is no longer in effect.
NOAA issued it on April 6, 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).
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The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for parts of central Illinois until 2:00 AM CDT, citing 60 mph winds and ping pong ball size hail.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Severe Thunderstorm Warning
- Affected area
- Central Illinois
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Lincoln IL
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 for portions of central Illinois. This alert is effective immediately following radar indications of a severe weather cell moving through the region.
Affected Areas
The warning impacts the following geographic regions:
- North central Christian County
- East central Sangamon County
- West central Macon County
Specific locations in the path of the storm include Mechanicsburg (15 miles east of Springfield), Illiopolis, Mount Auburn, Niantic, and Harristown. The warning also covers Interstate 72 between mile markers 118 and 135.
What You Should Do
For your protection, move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building immediately. People and animals outdoors are at risk of injury and should seek substantial shelter. Residents should prepare for potential damage to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles.
Expected Conditions
At 1:36 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Mechanicsburg, moving east at 55 mph. The following hazards have been identified via radar:
- Wind: Gusts up to 60 mph, capable of damaging trees and structures.
- Hail: Ping pong ball size hail (approximately 1.50 inches in diameter).
- Impact: Expect damage to vehicles, roofs, and siding. Tree damage is also likely due to high wind speeds.
Timeline
The Severe Thunderstorm Warning is in effect until 2:00 AM CDT on March 11, 2026. Additionally, a Tornado Watch remains in effect for central Illinois until 2:00 AM CDT.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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