The Chicago area is in for a rainy and stormy Sunday, with several rounds of showers and thunderstorms and the threat of severe weather looming in the forecast.
According to the Storm Prediction Center, parts of the Chicago area remain at a “slight” risk for severe storms, the second of five levels used to express the threat of storms. McHenry, Lake, DuPage, Cook, Kendall, Grundy, Will and Kankakee counties are all included in that category.
A morning round of thunderstorms began impacting the area early Sunday morning, and will continue to push through for several hours, according to forecast models.
Those storms are expected to mostly remain below severe limits, but could still bring heavy rain, some wind gusts and frequent lightning to the region.
Another round of showers and thunderstorms is expected later in the afternoon, with that severe weather threat returning to the region when those storms arrive. Gusty winds and hail are considered to be the main threats, but an isolated tornado and flash flooding are also possible.
Development of the storms will be dependent on the amount of time that elapses between the rounds of rain, with prolonged sunshine potentially helping to fuel the intensity of the storms, according to the NBC 5 Storm Team.
Residents should prepare for rain for much of the afternoon, with the system finally moving out in the evening hours.
Monday will start dry in the area, but there will be some periods of scattered showers and a few thunderstorms during the afternoon hours, though the day isn’t expected to be a complete washout.
High temperatures will rise into the mid-70s on Monday, with cooler readings expected later in the week, according to the NBC 5 Storm Team.