Chicago will likely be pummeled by severe thunderstorms Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
The weather service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for northeastern Cook County — including Chicago, Evanston, Des Plaines and Oak Lawn — Friday afternoon. It warned of 60 miles per hour wind gusts and expected damage to roofs, siding and trees.
The service also issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Aurora, Naperville and Arlington Heights in the suburbs, warning of gusts up to 70 miles per hour. Aurora rescheduled its fireworks show scheduled for Friday night to next week due to the storms.
A severe thunderstorm watch extends to 7 p.m. Friday in a number of Illinois counties, including Cook, Kane, DuPage and Lake. Hail up to ping pong size is possible along with lightning strikes.
By 1 p.m., the weather service said there were severe thunderstorms moving east toward the city.
The weather service recommended, for protection, moving to an interior room on the lowest floor of the building.
The storms will help break up scorching temperatures that gripped the city this week, meteorologists said.
