The Tornado Watch is in effect until 9 p.m. for dozens of Illinois counties such as Grundy, Kendall, Kankakee, La Salle and Will. Indiana counties that are under the watch include Newton, Benton, Warren and Tippecanoe, among others.

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center has expanded a Tornado Watch for central Illinois on Wednesday. The watch is in effect until 10 a.m. CDT for most of the WAND viewing area.

A massive storm hitting the central U.S. on Wednesday could spin up damaging tornadoes and dump heavy rain from northern Texas to the Great Lakes.

Weather balloon releases — tracking temperature, pressure and wind speed — have been suspended or reduced in the Midwest and Great Plains.

The afternoon forecast calls for potential severe weather., but it may be isolated. The Storm Prediction Center calls for a Level 3 risk for most of the Chicago area. The second, stronger line of storms is expected to pass through from 2 to 8 p.m. Areas along and south of Interstate 80 are at the highest risk for severe weather.

Up to 72 million from Texas to Michigan are under severe storm risk as heavy rains, flash flooding and strong tornadoes are forecast to hit the lower Ohio Valley and the mid-South.

More than 109 million Americans from the southern Great Lakes region to as far south as Texas and Louisiana face a dangerous severe weather threat on Sunday, with storms that could pack destructive wind gusts,

Another round of strong storms could hit the Chicago area Wednesday afternoon. ABC7 AccuWeather Meteorologist Tracy Butler says the afternoon forecast calls for potential severe weather, but it may be isolated.