A tornado watch remains in effect for the entire Chicago area until 9:00 p.m, Thursday, as forecasters expect a rare “moderate risk” of severe weather.
There will be strong tornadoes, damaging winds, and large hail.
Parts of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin are also included in the tornado watch as described by the National Weather Service.
EF-2 tornadoes are expected to carry wind speeds of 103 to 142 mph and can shift entire houses off their foundations, as described by forecasters.
The largest threat from tornadoes comes from a second batch of storms that will develop after 4 p.m. and extend until 10 p.m. on Thursday. Another inch of rain could fall during this time period.
The severe weather event takes place after cleanup efforts from Tuesday’s storm, which left over 130,000 ComEd customers without electricity. At the height of the Tuesday storm, more than 400,000 ComEd customers experienced outages.
Chicago O’Hare and Midway airports are directed to stop ground operations around noon, with over 500 flights cancelled at O’Hare alone.
Authorities request residents to ensure cell phone alerts are enabled and “heed warnings from officials.”
