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Damaging winds, hail and isolated tornadoes threaten Chicago area

By FOX 32 Digital Staff
Published  July 16, 2025 2:34pm CDT
Severe Weather
FOX 32 Chicago

The Brief

    • Severe weather is possible in Chicagoland between 2-8 p.m. Wednesday.
    • Damaging winds, hail, isolated tornadoes, and flash flooding are possible.
    • An Air Quality Alert is also in effect until midnight.

CHICAGO - Most of Chicagoland could see severe storms on Wednesday, bringing damaging winds, hail and heavy downpours.

Current Watches/Warnings:

  • Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued for Lake (Ind.) and Porter Counties until 5:15 p.m.
  • Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued for all Chicago-area counties until 8 p.m.

LIVE UPDATES

  • 5:05 p.m. - Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued for all of Northeast Illinois and Lake County, Ind. has been canceled.
  • 4:15 p.m. - A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for Lake (Ind.) and Porter Counties until 5:15 p.m.
  • 3:22 p.m. - All of Cook County now under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning until 4:15 p.m.
  • 3:21 p.m. - Signs of rotation spotted in DuPage County, FOX 32 Meteorologist Emily Wahls reports. The area is currently just under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning.
  • 3:05 p.m. - Ground stops issued for Midway, O'Hare Airports due to severe weather until 4 p.m.
  • 3 p.m. - A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for DuPage and Kane Counties until 4 p.m.
  • 2:53 p.m. - A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for Cook, DuPage and Will Counties until 3:45 p.m.This storm is capable of 60 mph wind gusts.
  • This storm is capable of 60 mph wind gusts.
  • 1:30 p.m. - Severe Thunderstorm Warnings issued in DeKalb and LaSalle Counties until 2:45 p.m. Wind gusts and penny-sized hail are expected.

What we know:

The Storm Prediction Center has placed most of the Chicago area under a slight risk, which is a level 2 out of 5, for severe storms. The main window for storms is from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. as storms move west to east across the region.

The possible hazards include damaging winds, large hail, an isolated tornado, and torrential downpours. Dew points and moisture levels are high, meaning storms could quickly drop 1–2 inches of rain, leading to a flash flooding threat in some areas.

The severe weather threat is expected to taper off after sunset as a frontal boundary moves through.

Dig deeper:

In addition to the severe weather, an Air Quality Alert remains in effect for Chicago until midnight.

The Source: The information in this article was provided by the National Weather Service and previous FOX 32 reporting.

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