Alert archive / Illinois / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 340, NWS Lincoln, IL

July 27, 2026Lawrence County, Illinois

NWS Lincoln, IL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 27, 2026, 7:54 PM CDT for Lawrence County, Illinois. It was in force for 66 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued: Jul 27, 2026, 7:54 PM CDT (00:54 UTC)
Expired: Jul 27, 2026, 9:00 PM CDT
In force: 66 min
Issued by: NWS Lincoln, IL
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Possible
Damage threat: Considerable
Hail: 1.5 in
Wind: 70.0 mph

County Lawrence County, IL

The radar

The Evansville,IN radar (KVWX), 51 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:55 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Jul 27, 1:39 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 00:00Z, 0.9 hours before the alert went out and 182 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.

Mixed-layer CAPE: 2993 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -84 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1393 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 44 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 372 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 626 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 4.0
Supercell composite: 22.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

127 
WUUS53 KILX 280054
SVRILX
ILC101-280200-
/O.NEW.KILX.SV.W.0340.260728T0054Z-260728T0200Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
National Weather Service Lincoln IL
754 PM CDT Mon Jul 27 2026

The National Weather Service in Lincoln has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
  Lawrence County in southeastern Illinois...

* Until 900 PM CDT.

* At 754 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Flat Rock, or
  8 miles south of Robinson, moving south at 35 mph.

  HAZARD...70 mph wind gusts and ping pong ball size hail.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated.

  IMPACT...People and animals outdoors will be injured. Expect hail 
           damage to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles. Expect 
           considerable tree damage. Wind damage is also likely to 
           mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings.

* This severe thunderstorm will be near...
  Lawrenceville around 805 PM CDT.
  Bridgeport and Lawrenceville Vincennes Airport around 810 PM CDT.

Other locations in the path of this severe thunderstorm include St.
Francisville.

This also includes Red Hills State Park.
 
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Remain alert for a possible tornado! Tornadoes can develop quickly
from severe thunderstorms. If you spot a tornado go at once into the
basement or small central room in a sturdy structure.

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
building.

&&

LAT...LON 3872 8752 3869 8752 3867 8759 3864 8762
      3859 8762 3859 8764 3857 8765 3857 8783
      3885 8789 3885 8753 3882 8753 3879 8750
      3877 8751 3876 8750 3874 8750
TIME...MOT...LOC 0054Z 342DEG 31KT 3889 8774 

TORNADO...POSSIBLE
THUNDERSTORM DAMAGE THREAT...CONSIDERABLE
HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.50 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...70 MPH

$$

Deubelbeiss

3 follow-up statements

549 
WWUS53 KILX 280126
SVSILX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Lincoln IL
826 PM CDT Mon Jul 27 2026

ILC101-280200-
/O.CON.KILX.SV.W.0340.000000T0000Z-260728T0200Z/
Lawrence-
826 PM CDT Mon Jul 27 2026

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT
FOR LAWRENCE COUNTY...

At 826 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Lawrenceville,
moving south at 20 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to 
         roofs, siding, and trees.

This severe storm will be near...
  Lawrenceville and Bridgeport around 830 PM CDT.
  St. Francisville around 850 PM CDT.

Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include Birds,
Billett, Pinkstaff, and Mount Carmel Airport.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Remain alert for a possible tornado! Tornadoes can develop quickly
from severe thunderstorms. If you spot a tornado go at once into the
basement or small central room in a sturdy structure.

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
building.

&&

LAT...LON 3872 8752 3869 8752 3867 8759 3864 8762
      3859 8762 3859 8764 3857 8765 3857 8783
      3883 8782 3885 8753 3882 8753 3879 8750
      3877 8751 3876 8750 3874 8750
TIME...MOT...LOC 0126Z 351DEG 19KT 3875 8773 

TORNADO...POSSIBLE
HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.00 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...60 MPH

$$

Deubelbeiss

172 
WWUS53 KILX 280141 RRA
SVSILX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Lincoln IL
841 PM CDT Mon Jul 27 2026

ILC101-280200-
/O.CON.KILX.SV.W.0340.000000T0000Z-260728T0200Z/
Lawrence-
841 PM CDT Mon Jul 27 2026

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT
FOR CENTRAL LAWRENCE COUNTY...

At 841 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over St.
Francisville, or 7 miles south of Lawrenceville, moving south at 35
mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to 
         roofs, siding, and trees.

This severe storm will be near...
  St. Francisville around 845 PM CDT.

Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include Billett
and Mount Carmel Airport.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Remain alert for a possible tornado! Tornadoes can develop quickly
from severe thunderstorms. If you spot a tornado go at once into the
basement or small central room in a sturdy structure.

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
building.

&&

LAT...LON 3872 8752 3869 8752 3867 8759 3864 8762
      3859 8762 3859 8764 3857 8765 3857 8783
      3878 8778 3876 8750 3874 8750
TIME...MOT...LOC 0141Z 342DEG 31KT 3862 8768 

TORNADO...POSSIBLE
HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.00 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...60 MPH

$$

Deubelbeiss

826 
WWUS53 KILX 280200
SVSILX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Lincoln IL
900 PM CDT Mon Jul 27 2026

ILC101-280209-
/O.EXP.KILX.SV.W.0340.000000T0000Z-260728T0200Z/
Lawrence-
900 PM CDT Mon Jul 27 2026

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR CENTRAL LAWRENCE COUNTY WILL
EXPIRE AT 900 PM CDT...

The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe
limits, and no longer poses an immediate threat to life or property.
Therefore, the warning will be allowed to expire.  However, gusty
winds and heavy rain are still possible with this thunderstorm.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1000 PM CDT for
southeastern Illinois.

&&

LAT...LON 3872 8752 3869 8752 3867 8759 3864 8762
      3859 8762 3859 8764 3857 8765 3857 8783
      3878 8778 3876 8750 3874 8750
TIME...MOT...LOC 0159Z 342DEG 31KT 3848 8762 

$$

Deubelbeiss

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Lincoln, IL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jul 27, 6:53 PM CDT, 1 hour 1 minute earlier. Its key messages:

Oppressive heat and humidity continues through early evening with heat indices peaking between 105 and 115 degrees.
Multiple thunderstorm complexes will move across IL this afternoon/evening, presenting a conditional threat for severe weather. Damaging winds (60-70+ mph gusts) and heavy rains are a risk especially in eastern and southeastern IL this afternoon and early evening.
A cold front will bring relief from the high heat and humidity on Tuesday, transitioning us back to near normal temperatures and humidity levels during mid week.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 27, 6:53 PM CDT, 1 hour 1 minute before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Lincoln IL
653 PM CDT Mon Jul 27 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Oppressive heat and humidity continues through early evening
  with heat indices peaking between 105 and 115 degrees.

- Multiple thunderstorm complexes will move across IL this
  afternoon/evening, presenting a conditional threat for severe
  weather. Damaging winds (60-70+ mph gusts) and heavy rains
  are a risk especially in eastern and southeastern IL this
  afternoon and early evening.

- A cold front will bring relief from the high heat and humidity on
  Tuesday, transitioning us back to near normal temperatures
  and humidity levels during mid week.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 218 PM CDT Mon Jul 27 2026

Outside of the storm risk today, it has been very hot and humid
today. Heat indices have been around 100-105 so far but still have
time to increase to about 115 degrees in some spots. The Extreme
Heat Warning continues until tonight at 9 pm. If thunderstorms
materialize and move in during the afternoon and early evening, it
would cool temps/heat indices and would likely end the heat
headlines earlier than 9 pm. Beyond today, temperatures become more
seasonable and less humid with highs in the 80s and lows in the 60s
through next week.

Today's forecast has been a doozy. The models haven't been of the
greatest assistance recently with this round of convection. We have
an Enhanced Risk (level 3 of 5) for areas near and north of a Henry
to Marshall line and a Slight Risk (level 2 of 5) elsewhere for
today. Primarily this risk is for damaging winds, potentially
stronger than 70 mph, but there is also a 2% tornado risk for the
area within the Enhanced Risk.

Our 12z sounding shows MUCAPE over 5500 J/kg, effective shear of ~50
knots, and PWATs of nearly 2 inches. A shortwave is pulsing through
this afternoon across Illinois and Indiana, based off GFS 500 mb
vorticity. The storms currently over the Chicago-Land area may clip
eastern IL as it drops south into Indiana and they are evolving into
a damaging wind threat as it transitions to a linear mode rather
than supercellular. It is starting to trend towards areas west of I-
55 may not see any of the severe threat today. There may be some
showers/storms that direction but it looks like the main show will
remain east of I-55 this afternoon/evening. An additional wave may
move behind it that will also drop south, potentially riding the
IL/IN border, but could possibly be weaker in strength, based off
the HRRR. The HRRR's 16z and 17z runs are picking up the active
convection well. The storms should have exited by 10 pm tonight.
Storms will be moving to the south-southeast at 30-40 mph this
afternoon/evening.

The next chance for showers and thunderstorms comes in on Friday
into Saturday as a shortwave moves through the area.

&&

.AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z WEDNESDAY/...
Issued at 653 PM CDT Mon Jul 27 2026

2330z/630pm radar imagery shows the bulk of the convection well
E/SE of the central Illinois terminals. With the synoptic cold
front still to the NW across eastern/southern Iowa, an isolated
shower or thunderstorm will remain possible through the
remainder of the evening. Current satellite trends show mostly
clear skies along/ahead of the front: however, the HRRR/RAP have
been consistently showing a few cells popping along the front
later this evening. Confidence for thunder is low, so have only
mentioned VCSH between 03z and 09z. Once the front passes, winds
will veer to the N/NW late tonight, then to the N/NE Tuesday
morning. Skies will be mostly clear overnight, but low clouds
poised upstream across the Great Lakes will filter southwestward
into the area on Tuesday. Some guidance shows low MVFR ceilings,
but other models such as the HRRR and NAM suggest the clouds may
be MVFR. Given low confidence at that time range, have
introduced SCT015 BKN035 after the 12z-14z time frame.

&&

.ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Extreme Heat Warning until 9 PM CDT this evening for
ILZ027>031-036>038-040>057-061>063-066>068-071>073.

&&

KEY MESSAGES...Copple
DISCUSSION...Copple
AVIATION...Barnes

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 27, 2:26 PM CDT, 5 hours 28 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Lincoln IL
226 PM CDT Mon Jul 27 2026

ILZ027>031-036>038-040>057-061>063-066>068-071>073-281930-
Knox-Stark-Peoria-Marshall-Woodford-Fulton-Tazewell-McLean-Schuyler-
Mason-Logan-De Witt-Piatt-Champaign-Vermilion-Cass-Menard-Scott-
Morgan-Sangamon-Christian-Macon-Moultrie-Douglas-Coles-Edgar-Shelby-
Cumberland-Clark-Effingham-Jasper-Crawford-Clay-Richland-Lawrence-
226 PM CDT Mon Jul 27 2026

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Illinois, east
central Illinois, southeast Illinois and west central Illinois.

.DAY ONE...Tonight.

Heat index values of 105 to 115 degrees will continue into this
evening, then ease overnight.

Scattered storms are expected across portions of east central
Illinois east of I-57 with isolated storms possible west of I-57.
A few storms will be capable of producing wind gusts in excess of 70
mph. Isolated large hail and a brief tornado are also possible.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday.

Scattered thunderstorms are expected from Thursday night into
Saturday. The severe weather threat appears low at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation may be needed this afternoon and evening.

Expected storm motion is toward the southeast around 35 mph.

Deubelbeiss

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 27, 4:26 PM CDT, 3 hours 28 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Lincoln IL
426 PM CDT Mon Jul 27 2026

ILZ051>053-272200-
Sangamon-Macon-Christian-
426 PM CDT Mon Jul 27 2026

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT NORTHERN CHRISTIAN...
NORTHEASTERN SANGAMON AND SOUTHWESTERN MACON COUNTIES THROUGH 500 PM
CDT...

At 425 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over
Buffalo, or 13 miles east of Springfield, moving southeast at 35 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects.

Locations impacted include...
Taylorville, Rochester, Riverton, Kincaid, Blue Mound, Edinburg,
Stonington, Illiopolis, Niantic, Mechanicsburg, Dawson, Buffalo,
Mount Auburn, Jeisyville, Spaulding, Clear Lake, Willeys, Sharpsburg,
Taylorville Municipal Airport, and Langleyville.

This includes Interstate 72 between mile markers 105 and 128.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

&&

LAT...LON 3984 8959 3993 8941 3992 8940 3992 8921
      3966 8903 3949 8935
TIME...MOT...LOC 2125Z 324DEG 32KT 3984 8942

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH

Copple

Local storm report, Jul 27, 7:02 PM CDT, 52 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Lincoln IL
702 PM CDT Mon Jul 27 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0614 PM     Tornado          1 WNW Hoopeston         40.47N 87.70W
07/27/2026                   Vermilion          IL   Emergency Mngr

            Video evidence from storm spotters showed
            that a tornado briefly touched down 1 mile
            west of IL-1 and about 100 yards south of
            Thompson Street. A power pole and a street
            sign were leaning in the immediate vicinity
            of the tornado.

&&

Barnes

The office that day

Everything else NWS Lincoln, IL issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 27, 7:03 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Clark, Crawford	57 min
Jul 27, 7:23 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	ILX	Crawford	52 min
Jul 27, 7:30 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Crawford	30 min
Jul 27, 8:27 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Lawrence	33 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Illinois, 2026 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2026

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.