Lincoln, IL (WAND) – Halfway through the year, the Prairie State has overtaken the previous record for most tornadoes recorded in a single year.

The record is now 149 tornadoes, with the previous record being 142 in 2024.

While Illinois is used to severe weather and tornadic activity, local meteorologists have never seen anything like this before.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Alex Erwin shares his evaluation of the cause for these storms.

“I think just overall we’ve had a consistent pattern where we get the ingredients that we need for severe weather, so that’s moisture, fuel, wind shear, and some kind of system to bring fronts and initiate thunderstorms,” Erwin said.

Despite a dangerous and stormy start to the year, things could be slowing down soon.

“Storm season in Illinois usually lasts from April to June,” Erwin said. “We would expect to see conditions start to become less favorable as we get later in the summer. That’s not to say we won’t see any tornadoes, but the numbers should start to decrease here in the coming months.”