Tornado Warning Issued for Champaign, McLean, De Witt, and Piatt Counties in 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This alert is no longer in effect.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).
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The National Weather Service has issued an immediate Tornado Warning for portions of central and east-central Illinois until 7:30 PM CDT.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Tornado Warning
- Affected area
- Central Illinois
- Issued
- April 3, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Lincoln
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 parts of central and east-central Illinois. The warning was issued after radar indicated rotation within a severe thunderstorm moving through the region.
Affected Areas
The warning covers the following geographic areas:
- Northeastern Piatt County in central Illinois
- Northeastern De Witt County in central Illinois
- Southeastern McLean County in central Illinois
- Northwestern Champaign County in east central Illinois
Specific locations in the path of the storm include Mahomet and Mansfield around 7:00 PM CDT, and Fisher around 7:10 PM CDT. This alert also includes Interstate 57 between mile markers 249 and 255, and Interstate 74 between mile markers 160 and 172.
What You Should Do
TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris. Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed.
Expected Conditions
At 6:56 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Mansfield, or 9 miles north of Monticello, moving northeast at 50 mph. Radar has indicated rotation. Expected hazards include a tornado and hail up to 0.75 inches. Residents should expect damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles, as well as likely tree damage.
Timeline
The Tornado Warning is effective immediately as of 6:56 PM CDT and is currently set to expire at 7:30 PM CDT on March 15, 2026.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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