Severe thunderstorms will begin Wednesday evening into Thursday morning in Illinois and surrounding states. | Graphic via AccuWeather.

The National Weather Service said that the Chicago area, including Lake and McHenry counties, could see severe thunderstorms and 75 mph winds late this evening into Thursday morning.

A Hazardous Weather Outlook was issued Wednesday afternoon by the National Weather Service (NWS).

The alert was issued for the northern half of Illinois and most of Wisconsin along with other areas in the Midwest.

Organized, severe thunderstorms will develop in Wisconsin Wednesday evening and track southeast.

The NWS said this will cause there to be a significant thunderstorm risk to northeast Illinois.

The storms are expected to occur between 11 p.m. Wednesday and 4 a.m. Thursday in the northeast Illinois area.

Damaging winds would be the most favored threat with these storms depending on their track, the NWS said. There could also be a period of very heavy rainfall that could cause localized flooding.

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WGN Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling said northeast Illinois is at risk for a bowed line of thunderstorms capable of tornadoes and damaging winds.

A derecho, which is a widespread, long-lived wind storm similar in damage to a tornado, is possible for the area, Skilling said.

The NWS recommends residents stay up to date on the weather and have multiple ways to receive weather warnings.