The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for portions of northern Cook County that is in effect until 7:15 p.m. Monday evening.
Warning sirens have been sounded in Evanston.
A National Weather Service map issued as of 6:24 p.m. indicates the tornado warning area (shown in red) is located to the west of Evanston and is scheduled to last until 7:15 p.m., but that Evanston is part of a larger tornado watch area that will remain in effect until 11 p.m.
The Weather Service reports a severe thunderstorm over Arlington Heights as of 6:17 p.m., moving east at 40 miles per hour.
The storm included two-inch hail and 70 mile per hour wind gusts.
At 6:29 p.m. the Weather Service updated the map — moving the tornado warning area closer to Evanston.
At 6:35 p.m. the severe storm was located over Glenview, moving east at 35 miles per hour.
And the weather service says people and animals outdoors “will be injured” by the hail accompanying the storm.
By 6:43 p.m. the map showed the tornado warning area moving further east and south.
A wind gust of 84 miles per hour was reported around 6:50 p.m. at O’Hare International Airport.
Shortly before 7 p.m. the warning area had shifted further to the southeast, with the most intense parts of the storm near Oak Park and heading toward the southeast toward Midway Airport.
With the storm moving in that direction, the risk of a tornado in Evanston has abated, but tornado watch remains in effect for all of Cook County until 11 p.m. tonight.