Minute-by-minute tracking of the most important information

Very severe thunderstorms are moving in a solid line from northern Illinois to southwest Michigan. In this article, the MLive Weather Team will add the latest important severe weather information as the line of thunderstorms moves across our state.

11:50 p.m. Update from the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids: “Severe thunderstorms with damaging winds will continue to move eastward along I-94 this evening. Very heavy rainfall is expected with these storms. The greatest chance for severe weather over the next hour will be near I-94.”

11:27 p.m. General Update – Mark Torregrossa – Two lines of severe storms. The first line is now moving northeast through southwest Lower. A few severe thunderstorms on this line. Severe Thunderstorm Warning for St. Joseph and Branch Counties. This storm has a broad rotation so it could develop into a tornado. The main line of severe storms that moved through the Chicago area is now over Lake Michigan and is preparing to move ashore into Michigan from New Buffalo to South Haven. Strong wind gusts and tornadoes are possible as the storms move ashore.

11:11 p.m. First tornado warning for a Michigan county. The southwesternmost corner of Berrien County. Here’s what the NWS says in the warning: “The National Weather Service in Northern Indiana has issued a *Tornado Warning for… western St. Joseph County in north central Indiana… Starke County in northwest Indiana… northwest Marshall County in north central Indiana… La Porte County in northwest Indiana… southwest Berrien County in southwest Michigan… *Until midnight EDT/11:00 p.m. CDT/. *At 11:09 p.m. EDT/10:09 p.m. CDT/, severe thunderstorms capable of producing both tornadoes and extensive straight-line wind damage were located along a line extending from Lake Station through Winfield to near Hebron, moving east at 60 mph. With this line of thunderstorms, wind gusts up to 80 mph and isolated tornadoes are possible! These dangerous storms will occur near… Michigan City, Westville, Wanatah and La Crosse around 11:25 p.m. EDT. Trail Creek, Long Beach and Pottawattamie Park around 11:30 p.m. EDT. La Porte and Kingsford Heights around 11:35 p.m. EDT. Hamlet around 11:40 p.m. EDT. Walkerton, New Carlisle and Koontz Lake around 11:45 p.m. EDT. North Liberty around 11:50 p.m. EDT.

23:01 Severe Weather Warning for portions of Cass and Berrien Counties with gusts up to 70 mph until 11:45 p.m. EDT. * At 10:59 p.m. EDT, a severe weather event was located over Stevensville or near St. Joseph, moving east at 45 mph. DANGER… Wind gusts at 70 mph. SOURCE… Radar indicator. IMPACTS… Significant tree damage is expected. Damage is likely to mobile homes, roofs and outbuildings. * This severe weather event will be located near… St. Joseph, Fair Plain and Stevensville around 11:05 p.m. EDT. Berrien Springs around 11:10 p.m. EDT. Dowagiac around 11:20 p.m. EDT. Cassopolis around 11:35 p.m. EDT.

22:49 The severe line of storms with tornadoes has triggered a large box tornado warning in northwest Indiana. This area is moving just north of due east. The Michigan border could be in the path of this portion of the severe line between 11:15 and 11:30 a.m.

10:47 p.m. NWS Chicago reports: “A large tornado on the ground directly surrounding O’Hare Airport. Also a tornado on the ground directly surrounding Midway Airport.”

10:30 p.m. The storm’s large supercell now moving into Berrien County could bring large hail, the National Weather Service said.

22:28 The National Weather Service in Chicago was forced to take cover when a tornado warning came too close. The team there briefly handed over control to the NWS team in Gaylord in northern Michigan. Here’s what they said: “We were forced to seek shelter from the tornado, but after temporarily turning over responsibility for the warnings to NWS Gaylord, we are re-opening. Continue to take these warnings seriously! Multiple tornadoes have been reported along this line of storms moving through the Chicago metro!!”

10:20 p.m. Tornado warnings are currently in effect for most of the Chicago area. The very severe storm front moving eastward toward Michigan is clearly visible.

22:12 The first severe weather warning has just been issued for a county in Michigan – Berrien County. Here is a radar image and the warning information:

21:48 A line of severe storms has produced wind gusts of 93 mph near Freeport, IL, west of Rockford. The line of storms is now reaching the Chicago area, and there have been numerous reports of wind gusts over 70 mph.

Here is the always updated radar from southwest Chicago.

Here is the always updated radar for southwest Lower Michigan.