Rain, gusty winds will make for a gloomy Election Day in Chicago area

Scattered showers and gusty winds will make for a gloomy Election Day in the Chicago area.

Showers and isolated thunderstorms were expected to begin Monday night and could bring between 1 and 2 inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service. Flooding up to 5 inches was also a possibility in low-lying areas with poor drainage.

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago issued an alert warning of potential flooding and sewer backups.

People can help prevent flooding by cutting back on water usage during the storms by delaying showers or baths, waiting to use dishwashers or washing machines and flushing toilets less frequently, the agency said.

The agency advised residents to report any flooding in their areas and sign up for its alerts.

The rain was forecast to continue on and off through Tuesday morning and would begin to taper off about 10 a.m. But the rain could pick up again Tuesday afternoon, weather officials said, mainly in areas south and east of I-55.

Along with rain, strong winds up to 45 mph were expected for most of Election Day.

However, despite the wind gusts, temperatures will hover in the upper 60s throughout the day before dropping to the 40s at night, weather officials said.

By the middle of the week conditions will improve and stay mainly dry. Wednesday was expected to be mostly sunny with temperatures in the 50s. Thursday and Friday will be partly cloudy, with temperatures in the upper 50s.