Landspout tornadoes possible in Northern Illinois on Tuesday afternoon

Conditions are favorable Tuesday afternoon for the development of funnel clouds, which could potentially touch down and become brief landspout tornadoes, according to the National Weather Service of Chicago.

Conditions are favorable in La Salle, Lee, Ogle, DeKalb, Kendall, Grundy, Livingston and Will counties until about 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Landspout tornadoes tend to be shorter lived and less intense than more dangerous supercell tornadoes.

Conditions are not favorable for the development of supercell tornadoes.

In addition, the strongest thunderstorms this afternoon will be capable of producing occasional cloud to ground lightning strikes, hail and heavy downpours. Should you spot a landspout tornado this afternoon, seek shelter in an interior room of a sturdy structure. If you’re outside and hear thunder or see lightning, head indoors until the thunderstorm safely passes.

What is a landspout tornado?

A landspout is a tornado is not part of a wall cloud or a mesocyclone (on radar). Landspouts typically form when a thunderstorm is in its beginning stages and get pulled into the storm clouds, so they are usually short lived. These tornadoes are not as strong as traditional supercell tornadoes, but they can pack winds up to 100 mph.