Scattered showers and thunderstorms are on tap Wednesday afternoon and evening for the Chicago area with some strong-to-severe storms already developing in the far southwestern suburbs.
A tornado warning issued for Iroquois County has been canceled after the storm weakened below severe limits.
An earlier warning that was in effect for Livingston and Ford counties was also allowed to expire.
A tornado watch remains in effect for Grundy and Kankakee counties until 9 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. Livingston, Iroquois and Ford counties are also included in the watch.
Wind gusts of up to 70 mph are possible with a group of storms that are moving their way toward the area, drifting northeast at 25 mph.
That system has already spawned a severe thunderstorm warning in southern Livingston County. That warning will remain in effect until 4:30 p.m., with the storms packing wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour and ping pong ball-sized hail.
With high temperatures in the mid-to-upper 80s, Wednesday looks breezy, warm and moderately humid. Showers and storms likely will become more numerous through the day, peaking in the evening and early nighttime hours.
Local
While not widespread, isolated severe storms are possible and could threaten damaging winds of up to 65 mph, large hail of up to an inch and torrential rain that could fall at a rate of 1 or 2 inches in just a few hours, especially from Chicago to southern counties and east in NW Indiana. The threat for an isolated tornado is low.
Storms are expected to move east and end around midnight or 1 a.m., but a few scattered showers will linger overnight.
Thursday morning looks mostly cloudy, mild and humid with a few spotty showers still possible early as the cold front continues to slide east.
The wind will shift to the north/northeast with the passage of the front, so a cooling lake breeze will return. The somewhat drier air will help to erode the clouds for more sun Thursday afternoon with breezy and warm conditions inland.
The heat and humidity starts to return Friday with upper 80s and low 90s. Intense intense heat and humidity arrives Saturday and likely Sunday as well, bringing high temperatures to the low- to mid-90s and heat index readings between 100 and 105 degrees.
