Hail and massive wind gusts pelted the Chicago area as severe thunderstorms rumbled through Sunday afternoon.
The system had prompted a tornado watch covering most of northeastern Illinois and northwest Indiana, but the National Weather Service canceled it by 3:15 p.m. with storms rolling out over Lake Michigan.
The downpours delayed the White Sox game at Rate Field. Downstate, wind gusts as high as 80 mph were recorded in Iroquois and Champaign counties.
“We want people to take these warnings seriously,” said Scott Lincoln, a meteorologist with the weather service office in Romeoville. “Even if there aren’t any tornadoes, these strong winds can still cause severe damage.”
Scattered rain is expected into Sunday night as temperatures plunge from an unseasonably warm weekend, forecasters said. Monday temperatures are projected to top out in the 40s with partly cloudy skies.