Severe thunderstorm watch issued for parts of Chicago area

The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for multiple counties in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin.

The watch includes McHenry, Lake, DeKalb and Kane counties, as well as Kenosha County in Wisconsin, and will last until 5 p.m.

A severe thunderstorm warning was also issued for southeastern Lake County and northwestern Cook County until 2:45 p.m. with a severe thunderstorm over Hoffman Estaes moving northeast at 50 mph, according to NWS. The biggest threats with this storm were wind gusts of up to 60 mph and quarter-sized hail.

An earlier severe thunderstorm warning issued for northern DeKalb County and southwestern McHenry County until 1:15 p.m. was allowed to expire.

According to the watch, isolated tornadoes are possible with any severe storms that develop, along with two-inch diameter hail and wind gusts of up to 65 miles per hour.

Hail of that size can cause significant damage to vehicles and the siding of homes and buildings, while excessive wind gusts can damage roofs and tree branches, officials said.

Another round of severe weather could begin later in the evening, with most of the Chicago area at a “slight” risk of severe storms.

from NBC Chicago https://ift.tt/jFbpVsZ