A low-grade tornado touched down during the supercell storm that left thousands across Chicagoland without power, the National Weather Service confirmed.
The EF-0 tornado dropped in the south side of Schaumburg before taking a two-mile path southeast and lifting in Roselle, meteorologist Kevin Doom said. The tornado’s estimated 80 mph winds caused “mostly just tree damage,” he added.
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“It did go through an area with homes and other structures that it could have damaged if it had been stronger,” Doom said.
A tornado is graded EF-0, considered weak, if damage surveys suggest it had wind speeds under 85 mph.
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Some of the storm’s straight line winds were more powerful than the tornado, he said. The wind gusted at 84 mph at O’Hare International Airport Monday and turned over several planes at Schaumburg Regional Airport. It also tore off the roof of a three-story apartment building near Maywood and toppled hundreds of trees, leading to power outages that affected thousands.
The “very, very intense” storm stood out for its height, an estimated 60,000 to 65,000 feet, Doom said. “This storm was within the upper echelon of storm tops for mid-latitude, non-tropical thunderstorms,” the National Weather Service wrote in a statement.
Temperatures for Tuesday and Wednesday are in the upper echelon too.
[ Temperatures climb to 100 degrees at Midway as thousands still without power ]
Midway saw a temperature of 100 degrees Tuesday for the first time since 2012, the National Weather Service tweeted. The temperature at O’Hare International — where Chicago’s official weather records are kept — climbed to 98 degrees, the second highest recorded mark for June 14.
The heat wave will challenge more records Wednesday. The expected high of 95 degrees matches Chicago’s June 15 record.
And yet, it will feel even hotter. Humidity could bring heat indexes — the way the body feels the heat — up to 105 degrees. Heat indices reached 108 degrees Tuesday.
[ Chicago preps for 105-degree ‘feels-like’ temp as heat wave looms ]
A cold front is set to bring Chicago relief, but it’ll bring storms first. Strong to severe storms are expected late tonight in north-central Illinois and the Chicago metro area, Doom said. The storm could bring thunder, heavy downpours and winds of 65 mph, the National Weather Service said.
After the storm, the cold front should bring temperatures down into the low 90s on Thursday.
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“The big thing is the humidity is going to drop heavily, which is going to be a huge relief. So, it’s actually going to feel like what the thermometer reads for the first time in several days,” Doom said.
Temperatures are expected to cool down into the 70s this weekend.
