Claps of thunder, flashes of lightning, heavy downpours and gusty winds pounded parts of the Chicago area early Friday morning as a line of strong to severe thunderstorms continue to make their way towards northeast Illinois.
Counties to the west, including DeKalb, LaSalle, Kendall and Kane County overnight saw a severe thunderstorm with wind gusts upwards of 60 miles per hour, and Nickle-sized hail, the National Weather Service said.
"Expect damage to roofs, siding and trees," the NWS added. "Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects."
In Northwest Indiana, parts of Newton, Porter, Lake and Jasper counties were under a severe thunderstorm warning until 7:15 a.m. According to the NWS, the storm was moving eastward at 50 miles per hour, with wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour.
At O'Hare International Airport, all inbound flights were held at their origin until 6:30 a.m., the Federal Aviation Administration said. At Chicago's Midway International Airport, all inbound flights were held until 6:15 a.m.
Strong to severe storms, accompanied heavy downpours and damaging winds are expected to continue across the entire Chicago area through Friday morning, and then again in the afternoon, beginning around 5 p.m. and lasting and into the evening, the NBC 5 Storm Team said.
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According to the Storm Prediction Center, both the afternoon storms carry an "enhanced" risk of turning severe, which ranks as level three on a five-level scale.
"If the storms do turn severe, NBC 5 Meteorologist Alicia Roman said, "all weather hazards are at play," including hail, heavy rain and localized flooding. However, the primary threat will be damaging wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour, Roman said.
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Additionally, "a tornado threat is low, but it isn't zero," Roman added.
Temperatures Friday are expected to remain steamy and well into the 90s, as an excessive heat warning remains in effect to the south.
According to an alert from the NWS, Grundy, Kankakee, LaSalle, and parts of Will county in Illinois, and Newton county in Northwest Indiana are all under an excessive heat warning, with peak afternoon heat index values reaching as high as 115 degrees, the NBC 5 Storm Team said.
Farther north, in DuPage, McHenry, Kane, Kendall, Northern and Eastern Will county, and parts of Cook county in Illinois, and Lake, Porter and Jasper counties in Indiana, a heat advisory is in effect until 9 p.m. Friday.
"For the heat advisory, peak afternoon heat index values 105 to 110 degrees can be expected," the NWS continued.
Additionally, an air quality alert issued by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Thursday will continue through midnight Friday.
