Weather.com - Becky Kellogg and Associated Press - Jun 25, 2013
A shelf cloud is spotted over Huntley, Ill. as a derecho invaded the Midwest on Monday, June 24, 2013. (NWS Chicago/Francis Uy)
A derecho struck the Midwest Monday, June 23 leaving wind damage in Chicago, Iowa, and other parts of the Midwest. The Monday storms snarled traffic, air travel, and downed dozens of trees in the region. There were also several tornado reports Monday, June 23.
Derechoes are large clusters of thunderstorms that produce widespread wind damage, usually as a result of one or more curved lines of thunderstorms known as bow echoes. The word in the Spanish language means "straight" and these windstorms leave wide, long swaths of straight-line wind damage. These winds can be as strong as 50 to 100 mph or higher.
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