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The Chicago area is facing threats from isolated tornadoes and gusty winds on Tuesday, but extremely large hail is also possible, according to the National Weather Service.
A tornado watch was issued for the entire area through 10 p.m. Tuesday, but forecasters are also alerting the public to the possibility of some dangerously large hail as well.
According to the watch, there is an “elevated hail risk,” with some hailstones potentially reaching up to 3 inches in diameter. For context, that is slightly larger than a baseball, according to NWS officials.
Hail of that size can not only damage windows, siding and roofs, but can also cause serious damage to cars and can even cause bodily injury, with estimates suggesting that such stones can fall from the sky in excess of 40 miles per hour.
The gusty winds could cause that hail to be even more dangerous, with residents urged to seek shelter as severe storms enter the area. Frequent gusts of 30-to-40 miles per hour are expected throughout the evening Tuesday, with some storms potentially even packing winds of up to 60 miles per hour.
Other storms could produce hail of more than one inch in diameter, or roughly the size of a golf ball, according to officials.
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Any hail more than one inch in diameter is considered to be “severe” in nature, according to NWS standards.
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