Severe Thunderstorm Warning Issued for South Central and Southern Illinois Counties Until 7:15 PM
This alert is no longer in effect.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 Franklin, Jackson, Jefferson, Perry, and Williamson counties, citing 60 mph wind gusts and possible tornadoes.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Severe Thunderstorm Warning
- Affected area
- South Central and Southern Illinois
- Issued
- April 3, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Paducah KY
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 South Central and Southern Illinois.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Paducah KY has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for multiple counties in south central and southern Illinois. The alert was issued at 6:36 PM CDT and remains in effect until 7:15 PM CDT. The warning is classified under NWS alert type code SVW.
Affected Areas
The warning impacts the following geographic regions:
- South Central Illinois: Perry County, Jefferson County, and Franklin County.
- Southern Illinois: Northern Williamson County and Northern Jackson County.
Specific locations in the path of the storm include Mount Vernon, Herrin, West Frankfort, Murphysboro, Benton, Du Quoin, Pinckneyville, Christopher, Rend Lake Area, Sesser, Zeigler, De Soto, Royalton, Elkville, Hurst, Bluford, Valier, West City, Ava, and Tamaroa. The warning also covers Interstate 57 between mile markers 61 and 97, and Interstate 64 between mile markers 73 and 90.
What You Should Do
For your protection, move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Residents should remain alert for a possible tornado, as tornadoes can develop quickly from severe thunderstorms. If you spot a tornado, go at once to a basement or a small central room in a sturdy structure. Additionally, a Tornado Watch remains in effect for the region until 11:00 PM CDT.
Expected Conditions
At 6:36 PM CDT, radar indicated severe thunderstorms located along a line extending from 6 miles northwest of Tamaroa to 7 miles southwest of Ava, moving east at 65 mph.
- Wind: Gusts up to 60 mph are expected. This may cause damage to roofs, siding, and trees.
- Hail: Maximum hail size is estimated up to .75 inches.
- Tornado Threat: Tornadoes are listed as possible.
Timeline
The alert is effective immediately as of 6:36 PM CDT, March 15. The warning is currently set to expire at 7:15 PM CDT.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
Related Weather Alerts
All Weather Alerts →Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this NWS weather alert.