Hot and humid temperatures will return to the Chicago area Friday after a night of storms brought some temporary releif from the scorching temperatures.
Highs will climb back into the mid 90s, but will feel higher than 100 degrees in many locations with the high humidity.
An Excessive Heat Warning was canceled and a Heat Advisory issued for nearly all of the Chicago area until Friday evening, warning of heat index values reaching as high up to 103 degrees.
The National Weather Service’s heat index is a measure of how hot it really feels when relative humidity is factored in with the actual air temperature.
Because of the high temperatures, Metra is warning its riders that they may experience 10 to 15 minute delays. Trains need to go a bit slower because of possible heat-related stress on the tracks.
The heat wave impacting Chicago will stretch across many cities in the central U.S., bringing the hottest weather of the year so far and triple-digit temperatures. It will mark the first time the city has seen a stretch of temperatures this high since 2013. In that year, July 16-19 saw highs in the 90s. A similar four-day stretch hasn't been seen since in the Chicago area.
The National Weather Service warns heat-related illnesses such as heat strokes, heat cramps and heat exhaustion are possible in the extremely hot and humid weather.
More people die each year from heat than lightning, tornadoes, hurricanes and floods, according to weather officials.
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Residents are urged to reduce strenuous activity, drink plenty of water and other non-alcohol fluids and avoid getting to much sun.
The temperatures fall for the weekend, but only slightly. Saturday will be hazy, hot and humid with the chance of thunderstorms developing late in the day. Highs could reach into the mid-90s.
On Sunday the Chicago area will see a small relief from the heat. A partly sunny and less humid day is in store with highs in the mid-80s to low-90s, and cooler along the lakefront.
