Chicago weather: Severe thunderstorm watch in effect until 1 p.m.
National Weather Service officials issued a severe thunderstorm watch in effect until 1 p.m. Friday.
Officials are expecting several rounds of thunderstorms to kick off mid-to-late morning Friday in portions of central and northeast Illinois, and northwest Indiana, and some may become severe.
Shortly after 12:05 p.m., radar indicated severe thunderstorms were spotted along a line extending from Woodridge to near Manhattan, officials said. The storm was moving east at 30 mph.
Officials warned damage to roofs, siding and trees is possible.
The storms are mostly expected west of Chicago, with damaging wind up to 70 mph possibly, officials said. Scattered thunderstorms, some of which may be severe are expected mid-afternoon through early evening.
With those storms, officials expect damaging wind gust, large hail and possible tornadoes. Officials said the highest tornado risk will be from the Chicago metro area westward.
Current conditions at Midway Airport is overcast at 78 degrees, and farther north at O’Hare International Airport conditions are the same at 76 degrees.
Officials expect temperatures in the high 70s Friday, dropping to the high 50s in the night hours with an 80% chance of thunderstorms. Officials expect a break from stormy conditions Saturday when clear skies are expected, but Sunday there is a 50 to 80 percent chance of thunderstorms with a high in the low 70s expected.
