The Chicago-area is in a hot, humid and stormy pattern this week, with temperatures feeling like 100 degrees or even hotter by mid-week and multiple waves of showers and storms.
Early Monday morning, Live Doppler 5 Radar showed showers and storms with heavy downpours and lightning pushing through the northern suburbs, including in parts of Lake, McHenry and Kenosha Counties.
“Non-severe, but heavy rain and plenty of lightning and thunder,” NBC 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Iisha Scott said.
The chance for scattered showers continues through the mid-morning hours, Scott said, though a break in the rain was expected midday. Another scattered round develops about 5 p.m., lasting through the evening hours.
Northeastern Illinois wasn’t expected to see severe weather, but thunderstorms were possible, the maps from the Storm Prediction Center showed. The strongest storms were expected northwest of the Fox Valley.
More storms were expected Tuesday starting about 10 a.m., and those could turn severe.
“Especially north of I-80,” Scott said, with storms lasting into the afternoon and early evening.
According to the SPC, much of Chicago and parts to the north and west will be under a “marginal” risk of severe weather Tuesday, which ranks as level one of five. The greatest threats with Tuesday’s storms will be damaging wind gusts up to 60 mph and large, quarter-sized hail.
Wednesday will see a break in the rain, Scott said, before more rounds of showers and storms Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Heat index levels
Muggy conditions were also expected, Scott said, starting with dew points in the 60s Monday morning.
“Whenever we get over 60 degrees, that’s when we start to notice the humidity,” Scott said.
Monday, a high of 89 degrees was expected, though heat index levels will make things feel in the low 90s. Tuesday and Wednesday will be even hotter, Scott said, with Wednesday expected to be the hottest day of the week.
“South of I-80, heat index levels will be anywhere between 100 and 105 degrees,” Scott said. Further north, peak heat indices will remain between 90 and 95 degrees.
The heat is expected to last all week, the NWS said. Further south, “increased chances” for extreme heat continue through next week.
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The Chicago-area is in a hot, humid and stormy pattern this week, with temperatures feeling like 100 degrees or even hotter by mid-week and multiple waves of showers and storms.
Early Monday morning, Live Doppler 5 Radar showed showers and storms with heavy downpours and lightning pushing through the northern suburbs, including in parts of Lake, McHenry and Kenosha Counties.
"Non-severe, but heavy rain and plenty of lightning and thunder," NBC 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Iisha Scott said.
The chance for scattered showers continues through the mid-morning hours, Scott said, though a break in the rain was expected midday. Another scattered round develops about 5 p.m., lasting through the evening hours.
Northeastern Illinois wasn't expected to see severe weather, but thunderstorms were possible, the maps from the Storm Prediction Center showed. The strongest storms were expected northwest of the Fox Valley.

More storms were expected Tuesday starting about 10 a.m., and those could turn severe.
"Especially north of I-80," Scott said, with storms lasting into the afternoon and early evening.
According to the SPC, much of Chicago and parts to the north and west will be under a "marginal" risk of severe weather Tuesday, which ranks as level one of five. The greatest threats with Tuesday's storms will be damaging wind gusts up to 60 mph and large, quarter-sized hail.

Wednesday will see a break in the rain, Scott said, before more rounds of showers and storms Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Heat index levelsMuggy conditions were also expected, Scott said, starting with dew points in the 60s Monday morning.
"Whenever we get over 60 degrees, that's when we start to notice the humidity," Scott said.
Monday, a high of 89 degrees was expected, though heat index levels will make things feel in the low 90s. Tuesday and Wednesday will be even hotter, Scott said, with Wednesday expected to be the hottest day of the week.
"South of I-80, heat index levels will be anywhere between 100 and 105 degrees," Scott said. Further north, peak heat indices will remain between 90 and 95 degrees.
The air over the next few days will feel heavy with dew points in the low to mid 70s. The highest heat index values are expected Tuesday and Wednesday, especially in the red shaded area. Meanwhile, occasional showers and storms will move through northern Illinois. #ILwx #INwx pic.twitter.com/2NQl7Y1xUH
— NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) August 31, 2026
The heat is expected to last all week, the NWS said. Further south, "increased chances" for extreme heat continue through next week.
