Severe thunderstorms swept through the Chicago metropolitan area on Monday afternoon, triggering multiple tornado warnings, flash flood alerts, and total ground stops at major regional airports.
Weather officials confirmed radar evidence of a rain-wrapped tornado carrying a tornadic debris signature moving near Orland Park, Homer Glen, and Tinley Park.
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Radar rotation was also identified over Downers Grove as lines of destructive storms moved south-southeast from Wisconsin at roughly 30 miles per hour.
Air Travel and Commute Disrupted
Air travel experienced major disruptions, with ground stops issued at both Chicago O'Hare International Airport and Chicago Midway International Airport.
On the ground, Metra suspended all Union Pacific-Northwest train operations due to severe wind gusts, warning commuters to expect widespread delays throughout the day.
Emergency management officials issued a Tornado Warning for Cook and Will counties in Illinois alongside Lake County in Indiana until 1:45 p.
m. In addition, Cook and DuPage counties face a Flash Flood Warning until 4:00 p.
m. , while Lake County, Illinois, remains under a Flood Advisory until 3:30 p.
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m.
The intense system delivered frequent lightning strikes, heavy downpours, and hail ranging from egg-sized to baseball-sized across affected areas.
Local electric utility ComEd reported that the weather front knocked out power to more than 73,000 customers across its service territory.
The severe weather coincides with extreme heat parameters, as heat advisory and warning alerts remain active across northeastern Illinois and northwestern Indiana until 9:00 p.
m.
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Monday, featuring heat index values reaching 105 to 110 degrees before an approaching cold front brings relief later in the week.
