Editor’s Note: Parts of Kane, DuPage, DeKalb, Lake and Cook Counties are all under severe thunderstorm warnings. All other parts of the Chicago area are under a severe thunderstorm watch until 11 a.m. Weather warnings and watches can be found here.
Severe thunderstorm watches and warnings took effect early Tuesday across the Chicago area as a fast-moving line of storms with heavy downpours, lightning, hail and thunder moved across Northern Illinois.
“It’s moving pretty fast, lots of lightning,” Roman said, of the line moving through.
MORE: Live weather radar map
According to the National Weather Service in Chicago, severe thunderstorm warnings were issued for parts of Cook, DeKalb, DuPage and Lake Counties Tuesday morning.
“Hail damage to vehicles is expected,” the NWS said in an alert. “Expect wind damage to roofs, siding and trees”
All other Chicago area counties were under a severe thunderstorm watch, which would remain in effect until 11 a.m., the NWS said.
The chance for showers and storms in the Chicago area was expected to continue through the Tuesday morning commute, Roman said. Between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m., skies were expected to get darker and cloudier, with more rain and rumbles of thunder areawide.
The morning round of storms was expected to push south and east and continue through 11 a.m. or 12 p.m., the NBC 5 Storm Team said.
“Any storm may be severe with damaging winds or flash flooding,” the NWS warned.
A second round of storms could ramp back up later Tuesday, Roman said, between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., creating potentially hazardous conditions for the afternoon and evening commutes.
According to the Storm Prediction Center, counties to the north Tuesday were at a “marginal” risk of severe weather, which ranks as level one of five on the SPC”s five-level scale. The rest of the Chicago area Tuesday was under a “slight” risk of severe weather, which ranked as level two.
“Any storm that does develop could produce heavy downpours and gusty, damaging winds,” Roman said.
Those gusty winds could top 70 miles per hour, Roman said. Flash flooding was also possible with Tuesday’s storms, along with frequent lightning and quarter-sized hail, Roman added.
In advance of the weather, Chicago’s Metropolitan Water Reclamation District issued an “Overflow Action Day” alert, advising Chicago-area residents to use less water in an effort to prevent overflowing of storm water management systems in the region.
Tuesday will also be a hot and humid day with muggier conditions, Roman said. Dewpoints in the 60s and 70s were expected, along with temperatures in the 80s to mid-90s.
“It’s quite muggy out there already this morning,” Roman said.
According to Roman, heat index levels Tuesday could reach into the upper 90s.