As showers and thunderstorms develop in the Chicago area, the National Weather Service says that “landspouts” could potentially occur Monday afternoon.
According to a special weather statement issued for LaSalle County, those landspouts could potentially develop as rain moves through areas that include Earlville and Triumph.
Another special weather statement for Grundy County referenced similar threats, according to officials.
So what is a “landspout”?
According to an explainer piece from the Denver Post, a landspout develops when air at the surface begins to spin, similar to a “dust devil” or an “eddie.” That spinning air is then sucked upward into a thunderstorm, which can then turn into a landspout.
By comparison, tornadoes form from air rotation within supercell thunderstorms, which then descends to the ground.
Even still, while landspouts are typically weaker, they can still pack a wallop, generating wind speeds of nearly 100 miles per hour at times.
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Landspouts are also “typically short-lived,” according to NWS officials.
In addition to the threat of landspouts, waterspouts could also potentially occur on Lake Michigan Monday afternoon, according to a special marine statement issued just after 5 p.m.
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The main threats with the weather system impacting the area are heavy rains and gusty winds, with flood watches in effect for Cook County and several surrounding suburban counties, including McHenry, Lake, Kane and DuPage.
Kenosha County already saw a flash flood warning on Monday afternoon, with rainfall rates of up to two inches per hour possible in some locations.
