As Chicago's mid-week heat wave continues Thursday with temperatures upwards of 90 degrees, some parts of the area are under an excessive heat warning, with "dangerously hot conditions," National Weather Service said.
According to an alert from the NWS, Grundy, Kankakee, LaSalle, and parts of Will county in Illinois, and Newton county in Northwest Indiana are all under an excessive heat warning all day Thursday and into Friday night, with "peak afternoon heat index values around 110 degrees."
"Extreme heat and humidity will significantly increase the potential for heat related illness, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities," the alert said. "Drink plenty of fluids, stay in air-condition rooms, stay out of the sun and check up on relatives and neighbors," the alert continued. "Young children and pets should never be left unattached in vehicles under any circumstances."
Additionally, those counties, with the exception of LaSalle, are under a dense fog advisory until 8 a.m. Thursday, with visibility less than one mile, the NWS said.
Farther north, in DuPage, McHenry, Kane, Kendall, Northern and Eastern Will county, and parts of Cook county in Illinois, and Lake, Porter and Jasper counties in Indiana, a heat advisory is in effect until 9 p.m. Friday.
"For the heat advisory, peak afternoon heat index values 100 to 107 degrees can be expected," the NWS continued.
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Some of those counties also fall under the dense fog advisory, effective until 8 a.m., Thursday, he NWS added.
In addition to the excessive heat, an air quality alert for Lake, Newton, Porter and Jasper counties Northwest Indiana remains in effect until midnight, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has declared an "air quality action day" for the greater Chicagoland area through Friday.
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"An air pollution action day is declared when weather conditions are such that widespread ozone and or particulate levels are expected to be at or above the unhealthy for sensitive groups category for the air quality index for multiple days," the alert said.
As of 12 p.m., Chicago's air quality ranked "moderate," which ranks at level two on a six-level scale, according to AirNow.gov. However, the city's forecasted air quality index Thursday and Friday, according to AirNow, was in the "unhealthy for sensitive groups" category, citing ozone as a primary pollutant.
According to the NBC 5 Storm Team, temperatures inland Thursday will hit the low-to-mid 90s, with temperatures along the lake in the mid-80s. However, the mercury Friday is expected to rise again, with some locations experiencing with “feels-like” temperatures of up to 110 degrees.
One form of relief could come in the form of showers and thunderstorms, especially on Friday, the NBC 5 Storm Team added.
The record-high temperature for both Thursday and Friday in the city of Chicago is 100 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. While it doesn’t appear those records are in jeopardy, the air temperature could still rise into the mid-to-upper 90s.
Heat-related illnesses: What to watch for
Heat exhaustion, a milder form of heat-related illness can develop after several days of exposure to high temperatures and inadequate or unbalanced replacement of fluids, experts say. Heatstroke is more serious and occurs when the body starts to lose its ability to regulate itself.
Here are the signs of heatstroke to watch for:
- An extreme high body temperature
- Dizziness and nausea
- Throbbing headache, strong rapid pulse
- Red, hot and dry skin
