Hail bigger than golf balls falls in west, northwest and southwest suburbs

Hail larger than golf balls fell in parts of the Chicago area Tuesday afternoon.

Hail exceeding 2 inches in diameter was reported in west, southwest and northwest suburbs, National Weather Service meteorologist Ricky Castro said.

A golf ball’s diameter is 1.68 inches.

The National Weather Service’s regional office didn’t mince words when it tweeted at 2:36 p.m.: “Hail as large as 2 to 2.5 inches now likely falling in southeastern Lake county IL near Bannockburn. Very damaging hail storm - take cover now!”

Some of the largest hail reported in the area was in Boulder Hill, south of Aurora, at 2.75 inches in diameter.

“It was a pretty significant hail event. It wasn’t necessarily anticipated to go this way, but it’s something that can happen,” Castro said of the difficulty in predicting hail. “It’s one of the tricky parts of thunderstorm forecasting.”

There have been no reports of injuries, Castro said.

Large hail can damage cars and homes, he said.

The Chicago Fire Department responded to several reports of wind damage to property, including on the 3600 and 4500 blocks of West Grant Avenue, and on the 1600 block of North Wells Street.