Heads Up -- Tornado Watch in Effect Till 1 p.m. Today

You don't have to look beyond the window to know we're getting deluge from a series of thunderstorms moving through the area, but the National Weather Service in Romeoville is also warning that conditions are right for tornadoes.

There's a tornado watch in effect until 1 p.m., according to the NWS' most recent forecast.

The report also warns that some of the thunderstorms could be quite severe. The strongest ones so far have produced hail up to the size of a nickel, wind gusts of more than 60 mph, frequent cloud-to-ground lightning and heavy rainfall.

Even if the weather doesn't turn severe in your neck of the woods, be prepared that any outdoor activities you might have scheduled are likely to be washed out. There's a 100 percent chance of rain all day today, dropping to 90 percent tonight.

There also could be more bad thunderstorms after 1 a.m. that could produce hail, wind gusts and frequent lightning, the report said.

The good news, at least for the farmers and gardeners out there, is we should get about a half inch to three-quarters of an inch of rain today and about about the same tonight.