Dangerous heat and humidity and the chance for more severe weather were both in the Chicago area forecast Monday. Alicia Roman has more.
A round of strong-to-severe storms in the Chicago area along with extreme heat and a flood watch could impact some outdoor events Monday evening, including a big concert planned at Wrigley Field.
Journey, Steve Miller Band and Def Leopard are set to perform at Wrigley Field in Chicago at 5:30 p.m. Monday. According to the website, tickets were still available.
Tickets for the event indicate the show will go on "rain or shine."
Monday afternoon and evening, the entire Chicago area will be under an "enhanced" risk of severe weather, which ranks as level three on the Storm Prediction Center's severe weather scale. According to NBC 5 Meteorologist Alicia Roman, "all weather hazards" will be at play with any storms that do develop, including destructive winds up to 75 miles per hour, two-inch hail and the chance of tornadoes.
Additionally, "torrential" downpours could bring flash flooding, the National Weather Service said. At 6 p.m., much of the Chicago area was scheduled to go under a "flood watch."
"With portions of far northern Illinois having observed widespread flash flooding on Saturday and Sunday nights, additional heavy rain will likely cause rapid water rises and the potential for renewed significant flash flooding," the NWS said.
Here's a breakdown of timing around when the storms were set to arrive.
Local
Storm timing
Much of Monday was expected to be dry, Roman said, with storm chances increasing as the afternoon and evening go on. By around 4 p.m. storms were expected to roll into far western Illinois, with an isolated storm possible around that time. By between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., storms were expected to each Chicago's western counties, Roman said.
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Between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., strong-to-severe storms were expected in Chicago, and most into Northwest Indiana by 10 p.m.
They were expected to dissipate overnight Roman said, coming to an end around 1 a.m. or 2 a.m.
A heat advisory was also in effect Monday, with "dangerous" heat and humidity levels expected, especially in counites to the west and southwest where the highest "feels-like" temperatures could reach between 105 and 100 degrees.
"Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses to occur," an alert from the National Weather Service said. "Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors."
According to Roman, dewpoints Monday were expected to be between 70 and 75 degrees.
"A very tropical airmass in place today," Roman said.
According to the NWS, the advisory was scheduled to expire at 7 p.m. Monday.
Chicago's Office of Emergency Management and Communications Monday issued an advisory encouraging residents to be prepared to the heat, with multiple cooling centers opening beginning at 9 a.m.
The storms and excessive heat comes on the heels of destructive storms over the weekend, with thunderstorm and tornado watches. As of 12 p.m. Monday, more than 12,000 Chicago-area ComEd customers remained without power.
A full forecast for the Chicago area this week can be found here.
