Chicago area faces severe storms, 60 mph winds, hail

The Story in Brief

Severe thunderstorm warnings are active for parts of the Chicago area until 2 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., covering counties including Kane, DuPage, Cook, Kendall and Will. The National Weather Service reports a line of storms moving east at 40 miles per hour, with wind gusts above 60 miles per hour and hail the size of quarters. A separate warning covers additional parts of Kane, Kendall, DuPage and Will counties until 2:30 p.m., with a storm near Aurora moving at 25 miles per hour.

The severe thunderstorm watch for DuPage and Cook counties has been extended through 4 p.m., while LaPorte County in northwest Indiana is under watch until 6 p.m. Central time. The Storm Prediction Center placed the entire Chicago area under a slight risk of severe weather for Sunday, meaning every type of severe hazard, large hail, damaging winds, and a small chance of tornadoes, is possible. Forecasters expect multiple rounds of storms through the afternoon and early evening, with heavy downpours that could cause localised flooding.