For nearly 24 hours Friday, Key West, Fla., was blasted by Hurricane Katrina’s wind and torrential rain. Downpours were still in progress as night fell with winds gusting to 47 m.p.h. The 9.52” of rain since late Thursday was the greatest 24-hour total of any summer day there since 1871. Winds as high as 74 m.p.h. were reported on the Keys during the day—even a tornado. Several offshore buoys just north reported gusts to 104 m.p.h. More than a foot of rain (13.24”) fell at Homestead Air Force Base south of Miami.
Chicagoans enjoy the 13th and final weekend of meteorological summer Saturday. Eight of the first 12 weekends were warmer than normal—and this weekend will be as well. Summer weekends here have averaged more than 7 degrees warmer than average.
Sunday marks the 15th anniversary of the deadly Plainfield tornado, which hit at 3:45 p.m. on a hot, humid Aug. 28 afternoon in 1990, killing 29.
WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center staff provide daily coverage of weather in the Chicago area.
