Heat and humidity are taking a midsummer break in the Chicago area after a stormy,
muggy weekend that brought as much as 2.8 inches of rain to portions of Will County
since Friday. While the Chicago area escaped with just some light rain Monday morning,
other parts of the state were raked by damaging winds. Gusts estimated at 90-100
m.p.h. killed one and injured nine just east of the Quad Cities while winds reached 75
m.p.h. at Momence, 65 m.p.h. at Marseilles and 60 m.p.h. at Bourbonnais. City
precipitation totals approaching 9 inches since June 1 are making this the wettest open
to meteorological summer since the benchmark flood year of 1993, but drier, cooler
and less humid weather is headed for this area as a buckling jet stream delivers a
Canadian air flow.
STRENGTHENING DOLLY HEADS FOR SOUTH TEXAS
Tropical Storm Dolly, packing 50 m.p.h. winds, is expected to strengthen Monday as it
traverses the bathtub-warm waters of the western Gulf. Dolly could become a hurricane
before it makes an expected landfall near the south tip of Texas Wednesday afternoon.
--Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist, WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune
