Tornado Warning Issued for Champaign, Douglas, Moultrie, and Piatt Counties in Illinois

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This alert is no longer in effect.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 an immediate Tornado Warning for parts of central Illinois until 7:15 PM CDT due to a storm capable of producing a tornado.

Read this weather record in 30 seconds

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

Tornado warnings are short-window notices for the named area. The issuing office is the authority on whether the warning remains active or has been replaced.

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 Tornado Warning for portions of central and east-central Illinois. The warning was triggered by radar-indicated rotation within a severe thunderstorm cluster capable of producing tornadoes and widespread significant wind damage.

Affected Areas

The following geographic regions are under the warning:

  • Northern Moultrie County in central Illinois
  • Southeastern Piatt County in central Illinois
  • Southwestern Champaign County in east-central Illinois
  • Northwestern Douglas County in east-central Illinois

Specific locations in the path of this storm include Lovington, Hammond (around 6:50 PM CDT), Atwood (around 6:55 PM CDT), and Sadorus. The warning also encompasses Interstate 57 between mile markers 212 and 222.

What You Should Do

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid all windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter immediately to protect yourself from flying debris. Do not wait to see or hear the tornado, as heavy rainfall may hide it from view.

Expected Conditions

  • Hazard: Tornado and significant wind damage.
  • Source: Radar indicated rotation.
  • Hail: Accumulations up to .75 inches.
  • Impacts: Flying debris will be dangerous to those without shelter. Mobile homes will likely be damaged or destroyed. Damage to roofs, windows, vehicles, and trees is expected.

Timeline

The warning is effective from 6:43 PM CDT until 7:15 PM CDT on March 15, 2026. At 6:43 PM CDT, the storm was located over Lovington (9 miles northwest of Sullivan), moving northeast at 60 mph.

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 an immediate Tornado Warning for parts of central Illinois until 7:15 PM CDT due to a storm capable of producing a tornado.
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.