Tornado sirens blared early Tuesday afternoon in parts of south suburban Chicago as thunder sounded on Chicago’s South Side and weather officials issued a flood advisory until 3:15 p.m.
The flood advisory was called in portions of northeast Illinois in Cook and Will counties, according to the National Weather Service.
Shortly after 12:15 p.m., doppler radar indicated heavy rainfall occurring with automated gauges showing rainfall rates as high as 2 to 3 inches per hour. Officials said the rain system was expected to move south of Chicago. More rain from 1 to 4 inches was expected in the area Tuesday afternoon and the additional rainfall was expected to cause minor flooding, officials said.
On the NWS website officials listed the following areas where flooding was expected: Cicero, Orland Park, Tinley Park, Oak Lawn, Berwyn, Calumet City, Midway Airport, Chicago Lawn, Roseland, Englewood, South Lawndale, Bridgeport, South Shore, Austin, West Town, Loop, Burbank and Oak Forest.
There is a chance for isolated thunderstorms to continue through the afternoon near Lake Michigan and into northwest Indiana, officials said. There was a 100 percent chance of rain Tuesday afternoon, which was expected to drop to 30 percent by the nightfall, officials said.
Current conditions at O’Hare International Airports is light rain and mist at 66 degrees. At Midway Airport farther southwest conditions are the same.