The National Weather Service confirms damaging tornadoes were moving through the Chicago area about 7 p.m. on Wednesday. Residents are warned to take shelter immediately.

Residents are advised to move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building and to avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris.

A tornado touched down near O’Hare International Airport around 7 p.m. Wednesday, the weather service confirmed. The tornado was “touching the ground intermittently” and moving east, according to a tweet from the service. Cook County is under a tornado warning after a separate tornado was confirmed east of South Elgin, according to the weather service.

Residents could hear tornado sirens in various parts of the city Wednesday evening, and weather alerts lit up phone screens across the region.

The agency warned of tornadoes, hail and wind that could damage buildings and endanger people as the city was pounded by rain through the afternoon Wednesday.

Storms were expected to hit Evanston, West Ridge, Rogers Park and Edgewater around 7:20 p.m. Other areas in the path of potential storms include South Lawndale, Logan Square, East Garfield Park, the Chicago Loop, West Town, Lincoln Park, Lake View, Bridgeport, Navy Pier, Northerly Island, the Near West Side and the Near North Side, the weather service warned.

Flights were grounded at Chicago Midway International Airport and O’Hare International Airport till 8:15 p.m. Departures are delayed at least 15 minutes at Midway and at least one hour at O’Hare. Those delays will likely grow.

A tornado watch is in place for DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, La Salle, McHenry and Will counties until 10 p.m. A tornado watch means a tornado is possible; it is less severe than a tornado warning, which indicates that a tornado has been seen or is expected by the weather service.

The main areas at risk of tornadoes is between Interstate 80 north toward the Wisconsin/Illinois state line, according to the weather service.

The hail and winds expected in the area could be severe enough to damage cars and buildings and down fences and trees.

On a scale of 0-5, the severe weather threat was categorized as a 3 by the weather service, with the main threat lasting through 7 p.m.

The city’s Emergency Management Department will be prepared with flood mitigation equipment and coordinate with the departments of Streets and Sanitation, Transportation and Water Management, according to a release from Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office.

City officials request that residents refrain from using extra water for showers, laundry or household chores to ease pressure on the city’s wastewater system. Residents can report a backup of water in their homes or businesses by calling 311 or going to 311.chicago.gov to report water in basements, standing water in streets and viaduct flooding.

Jake Petr, a meteorologist with the weather service, said rainfall at O’Hare Airport totaled .7 inches as of 4:30 p.m. At Midway Airport, 1.1.7 inches was recorded.

One of the highest totals for the day in the area was in Romeoville, at 2.63 inches, Petr said.