Showers and thunderstorms worked their way into the Chicago area on Monday afternoon, with strong storms hitting the western suburbs and gusty winds reported throughout the region.
The inclement weather also forced the Chicago Cubs to postpone their Monday game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Here are the latest weather headlines from around the region.
Severe Thunderstorm Warning Issued for Parts of NE Illinois, NW Indiana
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The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Iroquois County in Illinois, as well as Newton and Benton counties in northwest Indiana until 9:45 p.m.
According to the alert, wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour and quarter-size hail are possible with the storms, which are moving to the east at 30 miles per hour.
Storms Continue Pressing Eastward, With Gusty Winds and Heavy Rain
Local
The National Weather Service issued a significant weather advisory for eastern Kendall, northwestern Will, southeastern Kane and southwestern DuPage counties until 7:15 p.m., as a line of thunderstorms continues to move through the area.
Wind gusts in excess of 50 miles per hour have been recorded in the storms, which extend in a line from Sugar Grove to Lisbon.
Aurora, Joliet, Naperville, Bolingbrook, Plainfield, Woodridge, West Chicago, Batavia, Lockport and Lisle are all in the path of the storms, according to forecasters.
Heavy rain and frequent cloud-to-ground lightning have also been reported with the storms.
Tornado Reported Near Springfield
A tornado has been reported near Sherman, a suburb of Springfield, according to the National Weather Service. A tornado warning has been issued for the area.
Thunderstorms Continue to Pack Strong Winds, Lightning in Western Suburbs
Thunderstorms that were moving over the western part of Illinois are moving into LaSalle, DeKalb and McHenry counties, according to the National Weather Service.
A significant weather advisory has been issued for the storms, which are moving to the northeast at 45 miles per hour.
If the storms intensify, the NWS says it will issue a severe thunderstorm warning.
The storms are packing frequent cloud-to-ground lightning and wind gusts of up to 40 or 50 miles per hour.
Cubs Postpone Monday Game vs. Dodgers Due to Inclement Weather
As showers and thunderstorms approach the Chicago area, the Chicago Cubs have postponed their Monday game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
According to MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian, the Cubs and Dodgers will play a split-doubleheader on Tuesday to make up the game. The first game will start at 1:20 p.m., with tickets from Monday’s game accepted for that contest.
The second game will start at 6:40 p.m., the original start time for Tuesday’s game. Both games will be seven innings, per MLB rules on doubleheaders during the 2021 season.
Special Weather Statement Issued for Far Western Suburbs
The National Weather Service issued a special weather statement for several areas Monday afternoon as showers and thunderstorms begin their approach.
According to the NWS, doppler radar is tracking strong thunderstorms stretching from Erie to Kewanee, moving to the northeast at 45 miles per hour.
Those storms have wind gusts of 40 to 50 miles per hour, and frequent cloud-to-ground lightning. Small hail is also possible.
Locations potentially impacted include the Lee and Ogle County Fairgrounds, along with the cities of Dixon, Peru, LaSalle, Oregon, Sublette, and Steward.
Chicago Radar: Track Incoming Storms With Live Doppler 5
You can keep track of the weather on our Doppler 5 radar, which can be found here.
Timeline: What to Expect and When as Potentially Severe Storms Target Chicago Area
A cold front is pushing lines of showers and thunderstorms toward the Chicago area, and some storms could potentially be severe, according to forecast models and the National Weather Service.
It appears that most of the strong-to-severe storms could be centralized at the southern end of the NBC 5 viewing area, impacting LaSalle, Grundy and Kankakee counties, but some strong storms have also begun to fire in northern areas as well, with frequent lightning, gusty winds and downpours possible.
You can see a full timeline of the anticipated track of the storms here.
