A fast-moving cluster of violent thunderstorms—what meteorologists refer to as a derecho—swept south across Illinois Wednesday afternoon and evening with cloud tops as high as 65,000 feet, raking portions of western Illinois as well as the St. Louis metropolitan area with wind gusts in excess of 90 m.p.h. Damage to trees and power lines was widespread, and windows were blown out of many buildings.
More than 40,000 baseball fans huddled in the interior of St. Louis’ brand-new Busch Stadium as the storm front swept the area with the high winds blowing windows out of the press box, ripping the field tarp and downing trees outside the stadium. Temperatures in St. Louis peaked at a steamy 100º before the storms hit but plunged more than 25 degrees to the mid 70s in their wake.
It was but the opening salvo of a prolonged barrage of thunderstorms that was expected to last into Thursday morning.
--By Tom Skilling and Steve Kahn, WGN-TV Weather Center Meteorologists
WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center staff provide daily coverage of weather in the Chicago area.
