Thousands of people were without electricity across the Chicago area Wednesday afternoon as thunderstorms rolled through.
Electric utility company ComEd reported more than 7,000 customers in DuPage County were without power as of around 4 p.m. Nearly 1,000 more customers were impacted around Pilsen and the Near West Side.
A line of severe storms powered through the area about 3:30 p.m., with wind gusts reaching 67 mph at O’Hare Airport, according to the National Weather Service.
The storms continued to move over Lake Michigan around 4 p.m., but a severe thunderstorm watch remained in effect for Cook County until 8 p.m., the weather service said. A severe thunderstorm warning was issued through 5:15 p.m. in northwest Indiana.
Scattered showers remained possible in Chicago through Wednesday night. Thursday’s forecast does not include rain but calls for mostly cloudy skies and a high of 74 degrees.