Tornado watch canceled; Milwaukee experiences second wettest day in history

UPDATE: 1:30 A.M. CDT: Tree damage in Byron; Cloudbursts bring widespread flooding

A late report from Freeport in northwest Illinois tells of 4.00 inches of rain with standing water everywhere. At Byron, rainfall totaled 3.25 inches.

Numerous tree limbs 3-4 inches in diameter were downed in  Byron in Ogle County south of Rockford late Thursday evening as severe thunderstorms raced through the area. Much of the damage was near the intersections of Holcomb and German Church Road.

Flooding continues to plague southern Wisconsin, where the heaviest totals exceeded 7 inches of rain. The National Weather Service office in Dousman, Wis., received 4.55 inches of rain, while Mitchell Field measured 5.58 inches. 

UPDATE 1 A.M.: Flash flooding in the Dubuque, Freeport areas

Nearly 3.5 inches of rain fell in the Dubuque. Iowa area Thursday night and flash flooding is occurring there. Water 15 inches deep is flowing through the streets and torrential rain is still falling.

Flash flooding is also occurring in Freeport on Stephenson Street, with water up to car hubcaps on the northeast side of town.

UPDATE 12:20 a.m.: Tornado watch expanded to include Chicago

Thunderstorms continue to rumble across far northern Illinois. Severe weather reports have dwindled since midnight, but heavy rainfall is still occurring. Most of extreme northern Illinois, including the north and central portions of the Chicago Metro area remains under a tornado watch until 2 a.m. CDT. In the Chicago area, storms have so fall been limited to McHenry and Lake counties, but activity is beginning to move into northern Kane County.

UPDATE 12:05 A.M.: Heavy rain to Lake, McHenry counties; New  severe thunderstorm warnings issued

Beach Park doused by 1.74 inches of rain in just 45 minutes. Gurnee socked with 1.18 inches of rain in just 20 minutes.

Severe thunderstorms continue to move east across extreme northern Illinois while sinking slowly to the south. The tornado watch that was in effect for areas along the Wisconsin border has been expanded south to include DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Lee and Cook counties in northern Illinois including the city of Chicago. The watch will remain in effect until 2 a.m. CDT Friday morning.

The storms have finally arrived in the far northern portions of the Chicago Metro area, bringing vivid lightning, strong gusty winds and very heavy rain,

Some recent storm reports: Wind gusts at 50 mph in Zion, 1.57 inches of rain in 35 minutes in Gurnee.

Latest radar scans still put the cloud tops of these thunderstorms at nearly 60,000 feet.

Repeat episodes of heavy rain overnight could result in impressive rainfall totals across far northern Illinois and possibly bring some flooding. 

UPDATE 11:30 P.M.: More thunderstorm warnings 

New severe thunderstorm warnings have just been issued for Boone, Ogle, DeKalb and Winnebago counties in north central Illinois as the next wave of thunderstorms moves in. 

The tornado warning for Lake County has expired and will not be extended at this time.

Lake in the Hills in McHenry County reported wind gusts to 56 mph that downed trees branches as thunderstorms moved in around 11:15 p.m.

The thunderstorms continue to line up east to west across extreme northern Illinois and continue to "train" or move over the same path as the line of storms sinks slowly to the south. With more than two inches of evaporated moisture in the air, these storms are capable of producing very heavy rainfall and flooding could become a concern overnight if these storms move over the same areas.

This same line of storms brought more than 7 inches of rain to portions of the Milwaukee area Thursday evening resulting in major flooding.

Half-inch hail reported at Antioch as storms move in.

UPDATE 11:00  P.M.

The tornado warning for Lake County has been extended until 11:30 pm and the warnings for McHenry County has now expired.

The line of thunderstorms continues to sink slowly south across far northern Illinois. Shortly after 11 pm the heaviest storms were along a line from south of Dubuque to near Waukegan.

UPDATE 10:55 P.M.

Half-inch diameter hail was reported at Antioch at 10:39 p.m. The tornado warning for McHenry and Lake County is scheduled to expire at 11 p.m.

Tonight's thunderstorms have produced major flooding across southern Wisconsin, with the Milwaukee area receiving the bulk of the heavy rain.  Milwaukee's Mitchell field is closed due to flooded runways. 

Here are some of the larger totals:

City of Milwaukee police station, 7.38 inches with 5.38 inches in 2 hours

City of Milwaukee fire station, 7.49 inches  (5.72 inches fell in two hours)

Menomonee Falls 4.02 inches

WTMJ-TV Studio, 7.5 inches  (7 inches fell in 2.5 hours)

3 miles southeast of Timmerman Field Airport, 6.9 inches

UPDATE 10:25 P.M.: Tornado warning issued for Lake, McHenry counties

Tornado warning issued for Lake and McHenry counties until 11:00 p.m.

Severe thunderstorms are racing across extreme northern Illinois. Winds gusted to 50 mph at Rockton, downing small branches while a tree was reported to have fallen on a house near Durand.

A severe thunderstorm warning remains in effect until 10:45 p.m. for Boone, McHenry and Winnebago counties in extreme northern Illinois.    

Large trees had been downed in northwest Illinois including a 20 inch diameter oak near Rock City in Stephenson County in far northwest Illinois and many smaller trees downed in Rock Grove. 

UPDATE 9:50 P.M.

Severe thunderstorm warnings issued for Boone, McHenry and Winnebago counties until 10:45 p.m.  

UPDATE 9:30 pm: Severe thunderstorm warning for Winnebago County 

Severe thunderstorms packing winds in excess of 60 mph are sweeping into northern Illinois. One storm is headed for Winnebago County and a severe thunderstorm warning will be in effect there until 10:15 pm. Storms could be reaching Boone,  McHenry and Lake counties shortly after that and more warnings may be necessary. These storms produced wind gusts to 80 mph in the Dubuque area around 8:45 pm and brought torrential, flooding rain and numerous twisters to southern Wisconsin earlier this evening.

The line of severe thunderstorms thunderstorms across far southern Wisconsin and northeast Iowa has been sinking slowly south this evening and should move into extreme northern Illinois. Shortly before 8:45 pm wind gusts to 80 mph raked the Dubuque area as the storms approached the Mississippi River.

The Storm Prediction Center has issued a new tornado watch that will be in effect until 2 a.m. and covers far northern sections of Illinois.

Line of thunderstorms beginning to drift south

The line of severe thunderstorms that brought torrential rain and widespread flooding, tornadoes and gusty winds to southern Wisconsin this evening is beginning to drop slowly south toward the Illinois state line. In addition, thunderstorms that have been occurring in eastern Iowa are beginning to move into Jo Daviess and Stephenson counties in far northwest Illinois.

The latest computer runs show the thunderstorms moving into far northern Illinois and the Chicago Metro area by around midnight. If the storms do arrive, they are likely to produce very heavy rainfall and be accompanied by a vivid lightning display.

Floods and twisters blasting southern Wisconsin

Torrential rainfall with some reports in excess of five inches have brought widespread flooding to southern Wisconsin with the Milwaukee area being hard-hit. Traffic in many areas including the interstates is at a standstill, a result of flooded roads.

Several tornadoes have been reported. Two were in the in the Madison area near Stoughton and Edgerton and just before 7pm a twister was reported near Wind Lake in Racine County.

Latest computer models indicate a slow a southward shift in the thunderstorms and if that occurs, extreme northern Illinois could be impacted later this evening and overnight.

The entire Chicago Metro area remains under a slight risk for severe thunderstorms overnight. Heavy rainfall is also likely if the thunderstorms do arrive.

UPDATE 6:10 p.m.: Serious flooding in Waukesha County

Numerous reports of flooded streets and basements are reported in the county. Hardest hit areas include the communities of Brookfield, Menomonee Falls and Sussex. Cars are reported to be stranded on the flooded streets. Strong winds are also occurring with a gust to 62 mph reported at Waukesha at 6:13 pm.

In Milwaukee, three feet of water is reported on the roads near Timmerman Airport after a two inch deluge. 

In addition to the severe and tornadoes this evening's thunderstorms are bringing torrential downpours to southern Wisconsin, especially in the Milwaukee area where a severe flooding episode may be developing.

More than two inches of rain (2.10) fell in just 22 minutes at Beaver Dam while near Sussex in Waukesha county 2.33 inches of rain fell. Flooding in also being reported in many locations in Milwaukee County. 

Late reports from the Madison area include brief tornado touchdowns near Stoughton and near Edgerton.  

Severe weather remains north of Chicago- tornadoes reported in southern Wisconsin and south Lower Michigan

Severe weather is erupting across portions of southern Wisconsin and southern Lower Michigan with tornado damage being reported. One tornado with some  damage was reported about 5 miles north of Madison and another in far southern Lower Michigan in the Coldwater-Hillsdale area. Tops in some of these thunderstorms are as high as 65,000 feet. 

So far no thunderstorms are threatening the Chicago area but with a hot and humid environment thunderstorms could erupt later this evening and tonight and these could become severe.

UDPATED 3:55 pm-Severe weather rims Chicago to the north and west

A severe thunderstorm watch valid until 10 p.m. CDT has just been issued for Iowa and extreme northwest portions of Illinois, including Stephenson, Jo Daviess and Carroll counties. Thunderstorms are developing rapidly in an explosively hot and humid environment and severe weather could impact the Chicago area later this evening and tonight.

UPDATED AT 3:30 P.M.

Severe thunderstorms are breaking out in southern Wisconsin this afternoon and the Storm Prediction Center has just issued a tornado watch in effect until 9 p.m. CDT for southern Wisconsin and southern Lake Michigan from the Illinois state line north.

The watch does not include the Chicago Metro area or any Illinois or northwest Indiana counties at this time, but the area remains under a slight risk of severe weather and watches could be issued later this evening.

Warm and humid air is entrenched across the Midwest and conditions are ripe for additional thunderstorm development this afternoon and tonight . Many of these storms could become severe.