Storms have returned to the Chicago area this weekend, after a week of hot and humid temperatures and intermittent rain.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch was issued for 14 counties throughout the Chicago area around 3:30 p.m. Saturday. The area under the alert includes Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, Kenosha, LaSalle, Lake, McHenry, Will, Lee, Ogle, and Winnebago counties. The Watch will remain in effect until 10 p.m. Saturday.
Cook County was under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning through 7 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. 3 to 4 inches of water were reported on some roads in Evanston, as well as branches down across the northern suburbs and wind speeds estimated at 55-60 mph in Skokie.
I-94 was also temporarily shut down due to flooding around 7 p.m., according to the Illinois State Police. All lanes were closed and three cars were stuck in the water, police confirmed. No injuries were reported, and the expressway re-opened around 9 p.m.
[[388044802, C]]Because of the severe weather, Soldier Field tweeted that fans at the Coldplay concert scheduled for Saturday night were asked to seek shelter immediately.
Both the Sox game and the Under Armour All-America Game at Wrigley Field were also delayed due to rain, according to multiple reports.
22,000 people were also left without power across Chicago and the northern suburbs, according to ComEd, who were working to restore the outages.
The NWS also issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Kane and McHenry counties until 6:15 p.m., urging residents to take precautions as storms could see strong, dangerous wind gusts and even hail.
Kendall and Will counties in Illinois; Jasper, LaPorte, and Newton counties in Indiana; and Kenosha County in Wisconsin were also under a Heat Advisory until 7 p.m. Saturday.
Grundy, Kankakee, LaSalle also remained under an Excessive Heat Warning until 7 p.m., with high temperatures expected to reach the lower 90s and heat index values between 105 and 112 degrees.
On Sunday the Chicago area may see a small relief from the heat. A partly sunny and less humid day is in store with highs in the mid-80s to low-90s, and cooler along the lakefront.
