June 22--A storm system headed in Chicago's direction from the northwest holds the threat of strong, damaging winds and heavy rainfall when it hits the area late Monday afternoon and evening.
The National Weather Service had issued severe thunderstorm warnings earlier Monday morning for several counties in north and northwestern Illinois, calling them "very dangerous storms." The agency warned of wind gusts up to 50 or 60 mph in some places, and some locally heavy rainfall. Those warnings have since expired as the storms moved east and the storm apparently weakened.
The agency also had a severe thunderstorm watch until 3 p.m. for all of the counties in northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana. That watch was removed about noon for all of the Chicago-area except Will County and areas farther south in Illinois and for northwest Indiana.
With the threat of heavy weather in mind, airlines at O'Hare and Midway airports cancelled hundreds of fllights, with hundreds more delayed. The airports are encouraging people to check with airlines on flight status.
The worst of the storms may not hit the area until later in the afternoon or early evening. That system will cover more of the region, at least as far south as Interstate 80, and it will bring stronger winds, hail, heavy rain, lightning and possibly a tornado, the weather service said.
According to ChicagoWeatherCenter.com, the National Storm Prediction Center has the Chicago area under an "enhanced risk of severe thunderstorms" for both the early and late versions of the stormy weather. When warm and moist air from the south and a cold front from the northwest collide, it will make for atmospheric fireworks.
Meteorologist Amy Seeley of the National Weather Service in Romeoville said Monday morning that how bad the afternoon storm is depends to an extent on the shape of the atmosphere after the early storm moves out. "We'll know more after the first round," she said.
She also said the focus of the early storm is mostly on damaging winds and that keeping an eye on the progression of that system had things hopping early Monday morning. "We are so busy right now," she said.
