Weather agencies are warning of strong to severe thunderstorms across parts of Illinois, Wisconsin and western Michigan on Wednesday, July 16. The U.S. Storm Prediction Center has raised portions of the region, including Chicago, Milwaukee, Green Bay and Grand Rapids, to a Level 2 out of 5 ‘Slight’ risk for severe weather, citing an approaching mesoscale convective vortex that could intensify storms during peak daytime heating. The National Weather Service office in Milwaukee expects a line of heavy showers and storms to sweep the area between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. CDT. Damaging straight-line winds are the primary hazard, but forecasters note an uptick in tornado probabilities and the potential for large hail. Temperatures are forecast to reach the upper-80s °F ahead of the front before cooling to about 80 °F by the end of the week.