US: Severe storms prompt hundreds of flight cancellations at O’Hare Airport.

More than 300 flights were canceled at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago on Monday after severe weather prompted a ground stop and an evacuation of the airport’s control tower. The National Weather Service had been tracking severe storms in Illinois throughout Monday afternoon and into the night. Around 7:17 p.m. local time, the Weather Service said a tornado had been confirmed on the ground in Arlington, Ill., about 100 miles southwest of Chicago. About an hour later, the Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for areas north and northwest of Chicago, including O’Hare Airport. Winds up to 60 m.p.h., penny-size hail and a tornado were possible with storms moving in the area, the Weather Service said. “We are currently monitoring strengthening rotation over O’Hare Airport,” the Weather Service said on Twitter, moments after the severe thunderstorm warning was issued. The threat of a possible tornado led to the evacuation of the O'Hare air traffic control tower, the FAA said.<br/>