Hail, thunderstorms could hit northern Illinois this afternoon

Northern Illinois could see up to a quarter size of hail this afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

Thunderstorms are possible along with a limited risk of damaging winds of up to 60 mph, hail nickel to quarter in size and flooding, according to a hazardous weather outlook issued for Winnebago, Ogle and Lee counties west through the collar counties and down into northwest Indiana.

Thunderstorms currently in eastern Iowa are expected to move into northwestern and far northern Illinois over the next few hours, the Chicago National Weather Service office said in a tweet Wednesday morning.

Possible lightning and damaging winds are expected roughly along and north of a line from Dixon to Woodstock through 4 p.m., the National Weather Service said.

“Any severe thunderstorms from the late afternoon into the early evening will be capable of producing wind gusts strong enough to down tree limbs and marginally severe hail,” the National Weather Service Chicago said in the hazardous weather outlook. “Very heavy downpours are likely.”

A lull is probable in the mid to late evening followed by scattered to numerous thunderstorms, the outlook continues.

“A more organized cluster of thunderstorms is a possible but less likely scenario,” it states. “The main threat overnight is expected to be torrential downpours and localized flash flooding.”

A limited risk of severe thunderstorms and flooding continues into Thursday for the region and through the weekend, mainly south of Interstate 80., according to the outlook.