Severe storms Tuesday night expected to bring rain, hail and damaging winds

Severe storms are expected to hit the Chicago area later Tuesday evening, bringing a chance of tornadoes as a cold front moves through the region.

But the cold front won't bring down the "summerlike" temperatures, according to the National Weather Service.

The "main show" was expected to arrive in the city between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. with damaging winds, hail and tornadoes, according to Zachary Yak, a meteorologist with the weather service. A line of storms formed south of the city and moved into Indiana Tuesday.

A tornado watch covered the northern part of Illinois, including Rockford and areas just north of Cook County.

The storms could bring gusts up to 70 mph — along with the potential for tornadoes — and hail up to 1½ inches in diameter, as well as locally heavy rain of up to an inch per hour, Yak said. He encouraged people to stay alert and have multiple sources from which they could get storm information.

Certain areas may see heavier rainfall and a higher flood risk, he said. A flood risk remains through the night, and repeated rounds of storms are expected, Yak said.

"That's the tricky part of the equation here," Yak said. "It depends on how long they last over the city, which could lead to localized flooding."

The rain could lead to rising rivers and more flooding risks into Wednesday. There's another round of storms slated for Friday night.

High temperatures are staying above normal, at least through Saturday, but should return to more seasonal 50s and 60s after Sunday, he said.