Funnel clouds were reported Friday morning in Illinois and there was a Flood Warning for parts of the Chicago area into the evening.

The powerful storms also led to ground stops at O'Hare and Midway, and may have even played a role in a gas station explosion near Chicago.

A line of fast-moving storms prompted severe thunderstorm warnings in the Chicago area and ground stops at O'Hare and Midway airports. There were also reports of storm damage.

Extreme heat blanketed the Chicago area with heat index readings up to 110 on Thursday. Severe storms almost moved through parts of the area, leaving damage, and more are expected this weekend.

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.

A ground stop is in place at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport due to the threat of strong-to-severe thunderstorms Thursday.

Top weather news for. The Midwest and Great Lakes region could see severe thunderstorms over the next 24 hours, with damaging winds, hail and even a few tornadoes.

CHICAGO - A clash of air masses on Wednesday will result in the threat of severe storms from Milwaukee and Chicago westward to Denver and the eastern Rockies. The Storm Prediction Center has placed large parts of Illinois, Wisconsin, and Colorado under a "slight" risk of severe storms - a Level 2 out of 5 on its severe storm scale.