(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Some of the Chicago area was put under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch and other parts were under a Warning early Thursday morning, as strong and even severe thunderstorms were expected to blow through the area overnight, packing winds over 60 mph.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch extends for Grundy, Kankakee and LaSalle in Illinois and Benton, Jasper and Newton counties in Indiana until 8 a.m.
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A line of storms moved through Madison, Wisconsin about 1 a.m., moving south at 50 mph, ABC7 Meteorologist Larry Mowry said. There were tornado warnings with the storm near Madison, he said.
The severe weather threat for the city will end by 5:30 a.m., but continue for areas south of Interstate 80 until 7 a.m., Mowry said.
A Severe Thunderstorm Warning was in effect for Grundy, Will and Lake County, Indiana until 4:15 a.m.
A Severe Thunderstorm Warning extended until 4:45 a.m. in Kankakee County and Jasper, Lake, Newton and Porter counties in Indiana.
Mowry said all indications show these storms will be strong to severe, with wind gusts above 60 mph possible. The tornado threat is low, but not zero.
Heavy rain will also be a concern. A quick 1 to 2 inches of rain could fall.
The Illinois Department of Transportation reported some trees down in Waukegan just before 4 a.m., as a result of the storms.
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In north suburban Zion, the storms came with a lot of lightning, heavy rain and some high winds.
Near Zion Middle School, a few very large tree branches were blocking 27th Street. Some power lines appeared to be affected, too.
In Chicago, siding from a two-story warehouse appeared to have been ripped off a Galewood building and tossed onto the Metra tracks, affecting the Metra Milwaukee District West.
Meg Reile, a Metra spokeswoman, said trains are not currently traveling past Bensenville on the line. In addition to the siding, there are wires across the tracks, she said.
There was not immediately an estimate of how soon service would resume.
As of 4 a.m., ComEd said over 40,000 customers were without power.
According to the Storm Prediction Center, Chicago and the northern suburbs are under an "enhanced" risk - a level 3 out of 5 - for severe weather. The south and west suburbs and northwest Indiana are under a "slight" risk for severe weather - a level 2 out of 5.
As the storms move through, it will be muggy Thursday morning.
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