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.

A line of heavy thunderstorms swept across the D.C. region Wednesday evening, unleashing torrential rains that flooded streets and violent wind gusts that toppled trees. The storms produced spectacular skies — including menacing clouds on approach and vivid rainbows upon exiting.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.