2-4 inches of rain falls in some spots; 485 flights canceled at O'Hare

Strong storms have been moving through the North and West suburbs this afternoon and evening.

In association with these storms, AccuWeather issued a Special Weather Alert from the National Weather Service stating that "atmospheric conditions are favorable for the development of isolated funnel clouds" until 5 p.m.

No funnel clouds have been reported, but the National Weather Service did report 2-4 inches of rain falling within a couple of hours in some suburban locations. Flash flood alerts were issued.

Then at about 5:45 p.m., 485 flights were reported canceled at O'Hare International Airport and delays averaging 70 minutes as a result of rain and lightning in the area. Midway reported via Twitter only "minor cancellations" and delays averaging 15 minutes.