CHICAGO — Thunderstorms are expected to hit parts of the city this week — including, potentially, during Lollapalooza.
One storm with 40 mph wind gusts swept over O'Hare Airport on Tuesday before heading to the North Shore, said Ricky Castro, a National Weather Service meteorologist. More heavy storms are expected, and they'll be slow-moving and accompanied by lightning and gusty winds.
The storms could also be accompanied by funnel clouds. Funnel clouds typically protrude from a parent cloud, "rotate or spin like a top" and last just minutes, according to a special weather statement from the National Weather Service.
Funnel clouds "rarely touch the ground and typically do not pose any sort of hazard," according to the National Weather Service.
The storms will be "widely scattered" throughout the area in the afternoon, Castro said, and not every part of the city will get hit.
Wednesday should see similar weather, though it's possible that day will also see showers in the morning, Castro said.
But Thursday — the first day of the massive Lollapalooza music festival in Grant Park — is when the city could face "stronger, severe weather," Castro said.
Thursday's storms could come with strong winds and hail, Castro said, and heavy downpours and lightning are possible.
"That's something to keep in mind for people planning to be in Grant Park," Castro said.
The storms come just after the end of a particularly rainy July: The month was the sixth-wettest in the city's recorded history, with 7.68 inches of rain falling near O'Hare, Castro said. There was at least some rain on 14 days during the month.
July 2011 is the wettest month on record, with 11.51 inches of rain.
Widely scattered thunderstorms return. Highest coverage south of the Chicago metro. Isolated storms possible area wide. #inwx #ilwx pic.twitter.com/5mmm6t2OHo
— NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) August 1, 2017
