Why Illinois is seeing so much severe weather
IPM meteorologist Andrew Pritchard captured a picture of a large tornado in Charleston on June 17, 2026. Andrew Pritchard/IPM News
Severe weather has been rampant in June. There have been tornadoes, thunderstorms and gusts of strong winds that have damaged power lines and snapped trees.
Tornadoes swept across central Illinois on June 17, including Coles county, Mattoon-Chareleston and Effingham. Thousands of people in central Illinois were without power. This spring, Illinois leads the country with 140 tornadoes.
Professor at the Department of Climate, Metrology and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Steve Nesbitt and Meteorologist from Nutrient Ag Solutions, Andrew Pritchard talk about the recent severe weather.
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