Thunderstorms Continue To Affect Midwest, Thousands Without Electricity

Thunderstorms that began Sunday in the Midwest are likely to continue affecting parts of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio, early Tuesday, according to the Storm Prediction Center.

Meteorologists forecast strong and damaging winds in the Midwest, along with hail and tornado predicted to strike parts of Illinois. The severe weather is expected to move southeast, according to the Weather Channel.

"Thunderstorms will become more numerous and increase in intensity," Randy Adkins, meteorologist at AccuWeather, said late Monday.

Mike Doll, a meteorologist at AccuWeather, said early morning commuters in Detroit would be affected, while storms are expected to delay air, ground and rail transport in the area. The threat of damaging winds and floods will reportedly continue into Tuesday morning.

According to AccuWeather, at least 80,000 people in the Cincinnati area, West Virginia, Ohio and Indiana are without power because of the heavy storms and, in Indiana, the Portland area was hit with flash flooding.

“We’re looking at heavy rain, possibly with intense lightning and strong winds through Tuesday," Bonnie Schneider, a meteorologist at the Weather Channel, said.

North Dakota was the first to be hit by the storm system before it moved on, uprooting trees and leaving thousands without power in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin, NBCNews reported. Tornadoes and gusty winds reportedly swept through a large part of the Ohio Valley and the Mid-South Monday.