Tornado weather warning issued for parts of US with golf-ball sized hail possible: map shows areas set to be affected by severe thunderstorms

A Tornado weather warning was issued for parts of the US on Tuesday daytime and into the evening, as a powerful mix of rain, hail and tornadoes hit the Chicago area, and severe storms pummeled Illinois.

Multiple tornadoes were reported amid tornado warnings and severe thunderstorm watches popped up one after the other as the weather system moved eastward. 

A tornado could be seen ripping through Gary in Indiana overnight as lightning illuminated the sky.  

Fierce bursts of lightning could also be seen in video taken in Lake County, Illinois, overnight, while a tornado cone was visible in the flashing sky near Somonauk in footage taken from a moving car.

Golf ball-size hail was also reported, according to NBC Chicago. 

The National Weather Service said in an update on Wednesday: 'A potent storm will continue to bring gusty showers and thunderstorms across much of the eastern United States today. 

A tornado could be seen ripping through Gary in Indiana overnight. Bursts of lightning were also seen over a building

NSW Chicago said in a post on X on Tuesday: 'Tornado Warning including Hammond IN, Gary IN and Calumet City IL until 9:30 PM CST'

'Some of these thunderstorms will turn severe and will be capable of producing heavy rain and locally damaging winds. 

'The risk of tornadoes will be significantly lower than Tuesday night. As a strong cold front travels eastward across the country, temperatures will plummet 20, 40 and even 60 degrees from highs the day before in the Central states.'

It said that lake-effect snow showers are forecast to expand across the Great Lakes and a new storm will bring more rain and high-elevation snow to the Northwest.

The weather service also noted that showers will develop across southern portions of New Mexico and Arizona.

As the storm drops southward into California by the weekend, yards of snow are forecast to drop on the Sierra Nevada.

Severe thunderstorms with large hail and several possible tornadoes toppled trees, took down power lines and damaged homes in parts of the Great Lakes overnight and into Wednesday morning.

Hail was also shown pummeling the street of a residential area in Chicago on Tuesday night

A hangar was destroyed and airplanes damaged at the Madison County Airport following a severe storm in London, Ohio, on Wednesday morning 

In Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, a possible tornado knocked down trees and damaged homes and gas lines, but no-one was hurt, police said on social media.

Police officers and firefighters helped to transport several residents in the suburban Flint township to the fire department, but once leaks were repaired, residents could return home, the department said.

Nearly 27,000 customers in Ohio and over 15,000 in Michigan lost power early on Wednesday, according to PowerOutage.us.

A hangar was destroyed and airplanes damaged at the Madison County Airport following a severe storm on Wednesday morning. 

A tornado warning remained in effect for Lake County until 8.30 pm on Tuesday, NWS officials said.

Severe thunderstorm warnings were also in effect for almost all of northeastern Illinois until 8.15 pm, forecasting potential wind gusts in excess of 70 miles per hour and large hailstones.

The Storm Prediction Center upgraded all of the Chicago area to an 'enhanced' risk of severe weather, noting that there could be gusts of up to 60 miles per hour and hail up to two inches in diameter, as well as potentially 'significant' tornadoes.