After being battered by storms Monday night, the Chicago area is under a flood watch and more rain is expected through Tuesday evening, the National Weather Service said.
The area saw several storms develop Monday resulting in heavy rain centered on the North Side of the city, weather service meteorologist Zachary Yack said.
The North Side got about 2 inches of rain, and the South Side had an inch or less, he said.
Several North Side neighborhoods reported flooding Tuesday afternoon, weather officials said. For a short time, the sun broke through the clouds, gifting those lucky enough to see it a double rainbow.
In Uptown, several underpasses were flooded along DuSable Lake Shore Drive, including near the Montrose and Foster avenue exits.
Several inches of standing water were reported in Rogers Park near Sheridan Road and Farwell Avenue and at the Sheridan Red Line station in Lake View.
Tuesday’s storms began around noon, and intermittent rain showers were expected until about 9 p.m., Yack said. Wind gusts could reach up to 60 mph in some areas, the weather service said in an alert.
The weather service issued a flood watch in effect through Tuesday evening for Cook, DuPage and Will counties, and parts of northwest Indiana. Streets, especially in areas with poor drainage, could flood.
The FAA issued a ground stop at O’Hare and Midway airports Tuesday afternoon until 3:15 p.m. Departures at both airports were delayed Tuesday evening by nearly two hours due to the storms.
The storms will likely offer some relief from the recent heat and humidity, and clear skies and temperatures in the 80s are expected the rest of the week.
“The city will probably be pretty dry and quiet to close off the rest of the week,” Yack said.
Temperatures are set to climb over the weekend. The warmest day in the forecast is Saturday, with the heat index likely pushing toward 100 degrees, but some lingering heat will stick around Sunday, Yack said.
