Friday, 24 August 2007
Take an umbrella
This wasn't me walking home last night as I didn't have an umbrella!
After Tornado warnings in the afternoon, dramatic thunderstorms followed between 5 and 8pm caused by powerful jet stream winds sucking damp air into the humid summer skies. This producing thunderstorm anvils 64,000 feet high creating the most remarkable free thunder and lightning show. More rain fell downtown yesterday afternoon than the normal monthly August average.
Chicago is no stranger to powerful thunderstorms, but generally they come overnight but judging by the television weathermen's gaiety last night, yesterday was something else!
Around 250,000 households in Chicago and northern Illinois are still without power today and some roads remain closed due to cleaning up of debris and flooded roads. Also the Chicago Tribune stated that 202 traffic lights were not working, 108 light poles were damaged, and a phenomenal 2,700 trees were felled or broken in the city. 500 flights were cancelled out of O'Hare airport.
And more of the same is forecast for later today too. ¶ 12:50
This wasn't me walking home last night as I didn't have an umbrella!After Tornado warnings in the afternoon, dramatic thunderstorms followed between 5 and 8pm caused by powerful jet stream winds sucking damp air into the humid summer skies. This producing thunderstorm anvils 64,000 feet high creating the most remarkable free thunder and lightning show. More rain fell downtown yesterday afternoon than the normal monthly August average.
Chicago is no stranger to powerful thunderstorms, but generally they come overnight but judging by the television weathermen's gaiety last night, yesterday was something else!
Around 250,000 households in Chicago and northern Illinois are still without power today and some roads remain closed due to cleaning up of debris and flooded roads. Also the Chicago Tribune stated that 202 traffic lights were not working, 108 light poles were damaged, and a phenomenal 2,700 trees were felled or broken in the city. 500 flights were cancelled out of O'Hare airport.
And more of the same is forecast for later today too. ¶ 12:50
