Temperatures in Chicago are expected to rise Monday after a series of morning thunderstorms, and the afternoon is expected to be hot and humid, especially south of I-80.
Downtown Chicago will see temperatures around 80 degrees Fahrenheit and a heat index around 80 degrees Fahrenheit, while farther south in Cook County the heat index will reach 90 degrees Fahrenheit and above, said Scott Baker, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Heat indices track how temperatures feel to the human body, taking into account humidity.
The city of Chicago announced Monday morning that cooling centers will be open throughout the day to provide residents with relief from the elements. A full list of the dozens of air-conditioned cooling centers is available online.
“When temperatures reach extreme levels, we encourage everyone to monitor themselves and others for telltale signs of heat-related illness,” the Office of Emergency Management and Communications said in a statement Monday morning. “Extreme sweating, intense thirst, nausea, fatigue or weakness, and dizziness or confusion can all be indicators of heat exhaustion or heat stroke.”
Chicago woke up Monday morning to winds of up to 50 mph and scattered thunderstorms that moved through downtown toward northwest Indiana, Baker said. In addition to the high winds, Baker said the agency received reports of hailstones up to 1 inch in diameter falling in both the Edgewater neighborhood and northern suburban Highland Park.
The National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather warning for more than a dozen counties in northern and northeastern Illinois, including Cook County, shortly before 5 a.m. Monday. The special weather statement for the storm track in the Chicago area expired at 8:30 a.m.
“We had a lot of showers and thunderstorms that developed over parts of Lake Michigan and then into northern Illinois,” Baker said. “As that line continued to move southeast, it extended its coverage into the Chicago metropolitan area and moved through downtown Chicago.”
High winds and heavy rain prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to ground Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport just after 6 a.m., preventing any flights to O’Hare from leaving the runway.
By 8:30 a.m., the ground ban had been lifted; however, a half-hour later, planes leaving O’Hare were still experiencing average departure delays of one hour.
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