Thousands were left without power Thursday after a round of storms hit parts of the Chicago area.
Scattered thunderstorms were expected in parts of northern Illinois during the afternoon and evening hours.
Just before 4 p.m., many were without power in several counties across the area.
According to ComEd, more than 3,150 customers reported no power in Cook County, 1,235 others were without power in DuPage and 1,105 had no power in McHenry.
As of just before 4 p.m., more than 265 flights had been canceled at O'Hare Airport due to storms and delays of up to 45 minutes were being reported. At Midway Airport, at least 45 flights were canceled and dozens of others reporting delays, according to the Department of Aviation.
The Palatine Department of Public Works said the city received an inch of rain on about a half hour Thursday afternoon. Numerous roadways were flooded and some areas experienced high winds, officials said.
A Severe Thunderstorm Warning was issued for DuPage and Kane counties until 4:15 p.m., but the warning was canceled just before 4 p.m.
The National Weather Service warned that a strong thunderstorm was reported near Geneva around 3:30 p.m. The system was moving southeast at 10 mph, bringing with it wind gusts of up to 55 mph and torrential rainfall.
Another storm was also reported over Batavia, heading toward Aurora, Montgomery and Warrenville with wind gusts of up to 60 mph.
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The storms could bring heavy downpours to parts of the area with possibly a weak or brief tornado in the strongest systems.
Forecasters warned that conditions Thursday would be favorable for isolated funnel clouds. The clouds could protrude a few hundred feet downward and rotate or spin like a top. On “extremely rare occasion” they may briefly touch the ground, according to the National Weather Service.
The chance for storms decreases heading into the weekend. Friday and Saturday may see some rainy weather, but storms look to stay mainly south of the Chicago area.
Sunday looks to stay dry as highs remain in the upper-70s to mid-80s.
