6 Tornadoes Touched Down In Chicago Area Friday: NWS

ILLINOIS — A total of six tornadoes have been confirmed so far from Friday night's storms across the Chicago area, according to the National Weather Service.

The tornadoes are rated according to the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale, which categorizes tornadoes depending on wind speed. For example, an EF-0 tornado bringing winds between 65 and 85 mph, and an EF-1 brings winds between 86 and 110 mph.

Even before Friday's severe storms, Illinois had already confirmed more tornadoes so far this year than any other state — in part because tornado season, which typically spans April to July, began early with severe storms spawning tornadoes over the winter.

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On Saturday, officials confirmed an EF-1 tornado with peak winds of 95 mph from far north Minooka to Shorewood to the west side of Joliet and an EF-0 tornado in central Minooka, eastward to the DesPlaines River, with peak winds of 85 mph.

The roof was partially torn off a church in Minooka during those storms, according to the National Weather Service. In Will County, the roof was also partially torn off a Frankfort Fire Station in what the NWS is calling "possible tornado damage."

In Kendall County, the National Weather Service confirmed an EF-0 tornado from Newark to Lisbon, Illinois, with estimated peak winds of 85 mph.

Also in Will County, an EF-0 was confirmed from Midewin Prairie in Wilmington to Wilton Center to northwest of Peotone. Peak winds for that tornado were 85 mph.

Two additional twisters were confirmed in Kankakee County — an EF-0 with winds up to 80 mph near Kankakee and an EF-1 in Momence with peak winds of 110 mph. The Momence tornado caused significant damage to a home on the south side of the town, NWS said.

The tornadoes were brought on by severe storms and damaging winds that hit between Friday night and early Saturday. The storms came after an "oppressively hot and humid day across the region, with heat indices peaking near 110 degrees in some locations," the National Weather Service said.