Flash flood warnings issued as torrential rains sweep in

UPDATE 2:06 a.m.

Showers and thunderstorms will continue to pummel much of extreme northern Illinois and the Chicago Metro area as well as areas in eastern Iowa, southern Wisconsin, northwest Indiana and southern Lower Michigan.

The heavy rain will cause flooding, especially in low-lying areas and near streams, creeks and rivers,

Some late rain reports: Glen Ellyn 3.30 inches

UPDATE 2:00 a.m.: Northwest Illinois getting hammered

Tonight's downpours in northwest Illinois come on top of last night's cloudbursts that brought 4 to 8 inches of rain  and severe flooding to that area.

Some late reports:

Council Hill in Jo Daviess County, 1.71 inches tonight; 7.29 inches of rain for 7/23

Stockton in Jo Daviess County, 3.01 inches for July 23; 2 day total  10.85 inches 

UPDATE 1:45 a.m.: Record rainfall for July 23 set at both Rockford and Chicago

Very heavy rain has been falling in a band across northern Illinois from the northwest corner of the state near Dubuque east through the Rockford area then southeast into the north and central portions of the Chicago Metro area.

The rain has been falling at an intense rate of up to 2 inches an hour. Flooding is occurring in many areas, closing roads and bringing traffic to a standstill. The heavy rain that is falling in northwest and north central Illinois will only worsen severe flooding conditions that already exist there from the 4 to 8 inches of rain that inundated that area Thursday night and Friday morning.

Much of the Chicago area escaped that heavy rain episode, but the current one is taking dead aim on the Chicago Metro area.