Strong storms bring gusty winds, hail, and heavy rain to parts of Chicago area
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Strong storms moved through the Chicago area on Monday afternoon and evening.
Most of the area was under a Level 1 risk of severe weather. Some south suburbs and parts of northwest Indiana were under a Level 2 risk, with the main concerns being hail and gusty winds.
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Severe Thunderstorm Warning alerts were issued throughout the Chicagoland area on Monday evening.
There is a ground delay for departures to Chicago O'Hare International Airport due to thunderstorms. Those delays are averaging 301 minutes.
There is also a delay for departures from O'Hare, with delays averaging 120 minutes.
The weather also delayed the Chicago Cubs game against the Cincinnati Reds after team initially announced that the game had moved up from 6:40 p.m. to 6:10 p.m.
Flashes of lightning filled the skies above Chicago Heights amid storms that brought a bit of hail and gusty winds.
At the peak of the evening commute, heavy rain impacted visibility along 83 in Elmhurst. It broke for a few moments to allow a rainbow to shine through.
Neighbors in Kane County shared video of pebble-sized hail coming off of a roof.
The hail and rain made its way to Campton Hills and could be seen from one neighbor's backyard.
And in the south suburbs, Tinley Park residents captured video of hail scattering across their patio furniture.
But as the hail went away, there was still more rain that caused minor flooding in parking lots in Dolton and Homewood.
A Flood Warning is in effect for Kane, Lake (Ill.), and McHenry counties in Illinois until 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Earlier Monday, a Blowing Dust Advisory was in effect for parts of the Chicago area, but it has since expired.
ABC7 AccuWeather Meteorologist Tracy Butler said very dusty conditions were reported in central Illinois on Sunday, bringing concerns for poor visibility with winds picking up Monday afternoon, especially in open agricultural areas.
The NWS said visibility could be reduced to as little as a quarter of a mile, creating hazardous driving conditions.
Meanwhile, there are no reports of major damage from thunderstorms so far, but as ABC7 has heard from AccuWeather Meteorologist Cheryl Scott, what comes next is a bit of a temperature drop.
