tornado
Chicago was under a tornado watch Monday before flash flooding there became a major concern. Above, a storm cloud passed over a communications tower following a thunderstorm five days after a massive tornado passed through the town of Joplin, Missouri, killing at least 132 people on May 27, 2011. Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images

Chicago was under a flash flood warning early Monday evening, but that didn’t stop officials in the Illinois city from treating the high winds and heavy rains there as if it were a tornado. The conditions in Chicago that were similar in nature to a tornado resulted in tornado warning sirens being sounded Monday throughout the city, according to a tweet from the local ABC affiliate there.

A tornado warning for Chicago had officially expired at 5:15 CDT local time, but precautions that included the postponement of a Major League Baseball game in the city were being taken out of fear of major flooding. The flash flood warning remained in effect through 10:30 p.m. Monday, local time, for several state counties, including Cook, De Kalb, Ogle, Kane, Lee and Dupage, according to the National Weather Service.

Ominous clouds formed Monday afternoon over Lake Michigan in Chicago, resembling a funnel cloud that typically take shape shortly before tornadoes hit. Despite that and several other funnel clouds being seen around the region, a local meteorologist maintained to the Chicago Tribune that flooding was the primary concern, not a tornado touching down.

Multiple flights out of and into Chicago were delayed because of the inclement weather that included thunderstorms and lightning. Some flights were scheduled to arrive and depart by an average of nearly four hours, according to the website for Chicago O’Hare Airport.

The Chicago Cubs were forced to reschedule their game Monday night hosting the Cleveland Indians to Monday, Aug. 24. Fans would not be penalized so long as they kept their tickets, which would be accepted for the postponed game, the Cubs tweeted Monday night.

One sporting event in Chicago that was not being affected by the weather was Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Tampa Bay Lightning. The tornado warning was issued less than two hours before the game was scheduled to take place, ABC News reported.

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