A tornado watch has been issued until 11 p.m. Friday for Cook County and most of northern Illinois. Strong storms are expected to hit the Chicago area between 8 p.m. and midnight, the National Weather Service said.

Isolated to scattered storms are expected this weekend, bringing the potential for localized flooding and occasional gusty winds.

Sand and dust storms affect about 330 million people in over 150 countries and are taking an increasing toll on health, economies and the environment.

Thousands of people were in the path of a dangerous storm that moved through North Carolina on Wednesday afternoon.

The chance of rain will decrease through the evening on Friday in the Philadelphia region as temperatures once again gradually drop back into the low 70s to start off the weekend.

Severe thunderstorms will head east by Saturday, impacting eastern Michigan and parts of northern Indiana. One to two inches of rain is possible as the system tracks east, but some areas could see isolated amounts of three to five inches through the weekend.

Michigan residents should prepare for a potentially stormy Saturday with a high risk of severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall across multiple regions of the state.

The threat of heavy rain is “slight” for this weekend, but with the ground fully saturated in Kerr County even small amounts of rainfall could cause flooding.

A tornado siren blared in Iowa this afternoon as a funnel cloud could be seen in the backdrop of the famed speedway outside Des Moines. NBC News’ Maggie Vespa reports on the severe weather threats facing millions in the Midwest tonight.

Forecasters warn that slow-moving storms could bring heavy downpours to already saturated areas, increasing the risk of flash flooding.

Today’s forecast: An area of scattered thunderstorms will be stretched across southern Michigan today. Most of us will be dry. A solid line of thunderstorms is likely during Saturday.

A night of concerts in Milwaukee's Veterans Park was called off around 6 p.m. July 11 before Hank Williams Jr., Treaty Oak Revival and more performed.