(STMW) – A severe thunderstorm warning and severe thunderstorm watch were issued Sunday evening for parts of central Cook County and surrounding areas that are expected to last until 10 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.
The severe thunderstorm watch is in effect for central Cook, southwest Will, northwest Kankakee and all of Kendall counties, according to weather service forecasts. The warning applies to all of the Chicago area, including Lake and Porter counties in Indiana.
The mercury reached 80 degreees by 3 p.m. at O’Hare International Airport.
Metra halted all trains along the Union Pacific North Line between Ogilvie Transportation Center and Kenosha, Wisc., while the weather remained in the area.
Although Sunday started out warm and sunny in the Chicago area, the thunderstorm — bringing with it heavy rain, up to 70 mph winds and quarter-size hail — is expected to hit late afternoon, said Ricky Castro, a weather service meteorologist.
“It’s a weekend, its Mother’s Day, I’m sure there are plenty of people out and about, and these types of thunderstorms can be dangerous because they bring the threat of cloud-to-ground lightning,” Castro said.
The storm isn’t expected to taper off until Sunday night, when the storm shifts north into Wisconsin.
Castro said there was a very limited threat for tornadoes in areas in central Illinois, such as Livingston County.
Monday will bring unseasonably warm temperatures that could reach the upper 80s, with a 30 percent chance of rain in the morning.
Meteorologists expect the balmy weather Monday to shift to thunderstorms after midnight, with a 70 percent chance of precipitation.
The storms will likely stretch into Tuesday morning, with highs hovering in the upper 60s, forecasters said.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2014. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
