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While the first of two rounds of strong storms moved in and out of the Chicago area Tuesday morning, another round was on the way, with storms in the afternoon containing a higher risk of turning severe.
"There is an increasing threat for severe weather this afternoon with scattered storms expected to develop soon and continue through early evening," a 12:21 p.m. Tweet from the National Weather Service said.
According to the NWS, the storm timing for the second round was expected to begin around 1 p.m. and last through 5 p.m. Hazards include damaging hail, wind and tornadoes, the NWS added.
Much of Northeastern Illinois was under a "slight" risk of severe weather Tuesday afternoon, which ranks as level two of five on the Storm Prediction Center's severe weather scale. Parts of Northwest Indiana ranked as level three of five, the NWS said, with storms potentially producing "strong tornadoes" and "destructive hail."
ILLINOIS WEATHER RADAR: Track strong to severe storms headed to Chicago area
Local
Morning storms in Illinois moved eastward at about 45 miles per hour, NBC 5 Meteorologist Alicia Roman said, and contained gusty winds and some hail. Those storms moved out of the area around 10 a.m.
Around 9 a.m., both Chicago O'Hare and Midway International Airports had issued alerts due to thunderstorms, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. At O'Hare, a ground delay was issued through 9:45 a.m. At Midway, a ground stop was issued but lifted around 9:15 a.m.
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As of 12:30 p.m., 68 O'Hare flights had been canceled, with average delays close to an hour, according to FlyChicago.com.
Storm Timing
Between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., much of the Chicago area will be under a "slight" risk of severe weather, according to the NWS. Earlier, the NWS said the area was only under a "marginal" risk, or level one of five.
During that window, damaging winds and damaging hail were expected, Roman said, adding that brief tornadoes were possible.
"All weather hazards will be at play," Roman stressed, of the afternoon storms.
According to Roman, high temperatures Tuesday were expected in the mid 70s.
Wednesday: More storm chances
While much of Wednesday was expected to remain dry, the active weather pattern could continue Wednesday afternoon and evening, Roman said.
According to the National Weather Service, Wednesday's storms also have the potential to turn strong or severe.
Temperatures Wednesday will see a wider range, with highs in the low 70s to low 80s, the NWS said.
Thursday, more rain chances return, forecast models show. Cooler temperatures are set to end the week, Roman said.
