Heat wave hanging around: Another day of dangerous temps on tap

CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - The Chicago area today will once again face extreme, dangerous heat.

The National Weather Service’s (NWS) Excessive Heat Warning remains in effect for all area counties, which include Cook, McHenry, Lake, Will, Kane, DuPage, Kendall, Grundy, Kankakee, Winnebago, Boone, Ogle, Lee, DeKalb, LaSalle, Livingston, Iroquois and Ford. The alert is in place until 10 p.m.

For a second consecutive day, the region will experience sweltering, downright stifling conditions. The combination of oppressive heat and high humidity will result in heat indices of 110 to 115, the NWS says.

An Air Quality Alert is also in effect for Northern Illinois until midnight. The NWS urges to limit outdoor activities, especially for those with pulmonary or respiratory disease.

AccuWeather projects today’s high temperature to approach 100, which would break the 51-year-old record of 97, set in 1973.

The City of Chicago warns residents to be mindful of heat-related illnesses- such as heat exhaustion and heatstroke.

Here are symptoms of heatstroke:

- An extremely high body temperature, such as 103 degrees or above
- Dizziness and nausea
- A throbbing headache and a pulse that is rapid and strong
- Skin that is red, hot and dry
-Pulse that is rapid and strong

The Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) has activated several community centers and senior centers as cooling centers. Today community service centers will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The once exception however will be the Garfield Center on the West Side. It will be open until 8 p.m.

Here are the Chicago community centers that will be activated as cooling centers:
**Centers open at 9 a.m. and close at 5 p.m.**
- Englewood Center – 1140 W. 79th Street
- Garfield Center – 10 S. Kedzie Ave. (9 a.m. - 8 p.m.)
- King Center – 4314 S. Cottage Grove
- North Area Center – 845 W. Wilson Ave.
- South Chicago Center – 8650 S. Commercial Ave.
- Trina Davila Center – 4312 W. North Ave.

Here are the Chicago senior centers that will be activated as cooling centers:
**Centers open at 8:30 a.m. and close at 4:30 p.m.**
- Central West Center - 2102 W. Ogden Ave.
- Northeast Senior Center - 2019 W. Lawrence Ave.
- Southeast Senior Center - 1767 E. 79th St.
- Northwest Senior Center - 3160 N. Milwaukee Ave.
- Southwest Center - 6117 S. Kedzie Ave.
- Renaissance Court - 78 E. Washington Street (10 a.m. - 5 p.m.)

** CLICK HERE AND VIEW MAP BELOW, PROVIDING LOCATIONS OF ALL CHICAGO COOLING CENTERS

The mayor's office said Chicago Public Schools will monitor its over 800 facilities and campuses and will track temperatures inside school buildings throughout the day.

Illinois motorists who become stranded can also receive assistance. The Illinois Tollway will operate a 24-hour Hot Weather Patrol on the Reagan, Veterans Memorial, Jane Adams, Tri-State, and Route 390 Tollways, searching for drivers of disabled vehicles.

In addition to their 30 suburban cooling centers , Cook County has made available Skokie, Maywood and Markham Courthouses as places where residents can receive relief from the heat. The courthouses will act as cooling centers today. They will close at 5 p.m.

Other area counties will also have cooling centers available. In Kane County , Aurora public libraries will act as cooling centers. DuPage , Will and Lake Counties will also offer numerous safe, air conditioned places.

There is an end in sight to this heat wave. Scattered, potentially strong thunderstorms could hit the area late this afternoon and early this evening. They produce heavy downpours, hail, damaging wind and flash flooding, AccuWeather says.

The storm front will cool off temperatures somewhat. By early morning Wednesday, temps will be in the low 70s. According to AccuWeather, highs will sit in the mid to upper 80s for the rest of the work week, with the muggy conditions sticking around.

The good news, the holiday weekend forecast is shaping up nicely. AccuWeather is forecasting Saturday to be sunny, pleasant and less humid, with a high of 85.

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