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A ground stop is in place at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and Midway Airport due to the threat of strong-to-severe thunderstorms Thursday.

Storms blowing through the Chicago area have packed wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour, with gusts of up to 70 miles per hour possible.

As of 2:45 p.m., a ground stop is preventing planes bound for Chicago from taking off, and they are being held at their originating airports.

Heavy rain is also anticipated with any storms that move through, raising the potential for flash flooding in impacted areas.

A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect for most of the Chicago area until 9 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.

Once the low-pressure system moves out of the area, the Chicago area will see cooler temperatures and lower humidity on Friday, but another chance of severe storms could arrive on Saturday, according to forecast models.