Two rounds of heavy storms pummel suburbs

More than 700 flights were canceled at Chicago airports Wednesday as heavy thunderstorms rolled through the area in the morning and again through Wednesday night.

The storm which passed through Wednesday morning caused widespread street flooding after dropping more than an inch and a half of rain over a three-hour period in many areas.

O’Hare International Airport was forced to cancel more than 700 flights and was facing delays averaging one hour due to the storms as of 4 p.m. The airport recorded 1.79 inches of rain by the afternoon.

Midway Airport was also socked by heavy rains, measuring 1.5 inches between 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., which caused minor flooding, according to the National Weather Service.

Travelers out of the airport were facing delays of up to two hours, while the airport had “minor” cancellations, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation.