Storms Soak Morning Commute, More Likely Monday Afternoon
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A fast-moving line of storms that brought heavy rain and high winds to the Chicago area Monday morning was likely just the first taste of severe weather for northern Illinois and northwestern Indiana.
A long but narrow band of storms began moving into northern Illinois from the Wisconsin state line around 5 a.m., heading southeast through the Chicago area at 40 mph. With wind gusts of up to 60 mph, the storms prompted Metra to halt trains along the Union Pacific North, Northwest, and West lines for about 90 minutes, starting around 5:30 a.m.
While trains on all three lines were moving again by around 7 a.m., significant delays were expected through the morning rush.
The storms also prompted airlines to cancel more than 100 flights at O'Hare International Airport early Monday. Other flights were delayed 30 minutes or more during the storm, at both O'Hare and Midway International Airport, though no flights were canceled at Midway.
The National Weather Service issued severe thunderstorm warnings for virtually all of the Chicago area Monday morning, but all of those warnings had expired by 7:15 a.m., though a severe thunderstorm watch was still in effect for some southern and southwestern suburban counties until 10 a.m.
While the morning's storms were expected to move off to eastern Indiana by 11 a.m., it won't stay dry in the Chicago area for long.
A second round of storms was expected to move into the area Monday afternoon or evening, as heat and humidity build through the day, and fire up more storm activity. Those storms could bring more torrential rain, flash flooding, large hail, and possible tornados. A flash flood watch has been issued through late Monday night.
The afternoon's storms could begin forming in the far western suburbs around 3 p.m., and then in Kankakee and northwest Indiana around 5 p.m. The storms should wrap up again by about 8 p.m.
Temperatures will reach a high of about 91 in the afternoon, but the high humidity will make it feel like 100 or higher.
