ComEd reported more than 7,000 customers in DuPage County were without power as of around 4 p.m. Around 1,000 more were impacted across Chicago.

She made a chicken salad plate, which includes chicken breast, Greek yogurt, light mayonnaise, green apples, grapes, crudite, naan and fruit for a protein- and nutrient-packed, simple but flavorful summer lunch. Visit www.midtown.com for more information.

Chicago cools off today before storms this weekend and a scorching heat wave next week that may bring the hottest weather of the season.

The Chicago area has felt less of an impact from the Trump administration’s National Weather Service cuts than offices in the Quad Cities and downstate Lincoln.

Residents across parts of Chicagoland are picking up the pieces on Thursday morning after a round of storms brought strong winds and heavy rain to the region on Wednesday afternoon.

Heavy rain is in the forecast for Chicago on Friday night, but an earlier threat of severe weather has significantly diminished. A tornado watch had been in effect for most of the Chicago area until 11 p.m., but it was canceled around 9:30 p.m.

A tornado watch was still in effect until 11 p.m. Friday for Cook County and northern Illinois, but the severe weather mainly stayed northwest of the Chicago area thanks to a line of cool, dense air that broke the storms up.

Wednesday will be another hot and humid day with highs in the lower 90s. Showers and storms are expected to move in during the afternoon and evening, some of which may become severe. The greatest risk with any strong to severe storms on Wednesday will be damaging wind gusts and heavy rain.