URGENT – WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
315 AM CDT WED JUL 4 2012
COOK-
INCLUDING THE CITY OF…CHICAGO
315 AM CDT WED JUL 4 2012
…EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CDT FRIDAY…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHICAGO HAS ISSUED AN EXCESSIVE
HEAT WARNING…WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CDT FRIDAY. THIS
WARNING REPLACES BOTH THE HEAT ADVISORY AND EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH
WHICH ARE NO LONGER IN EFFECT.
* TEMPERATURES…HIGHS TODAY AND TOMORROW WILL TOP OUT BETWEEN 100
AND 105…WITH NIGHTTIME LOWS IN THE CITY ONLY DROPPING INTO THE
80S TONIGHT AND AGAIN THURSDAY NIGHT. A LAKE BREEZE ENHANCED
FRONT IS FORECAST TO MOVE THROUGH ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON CAUSING
FALLING TEMPERATURES…HOWEVER PRIOR TO ITS PASSAGE HIGHS ON
FRIDAY COULD CLIMB INTO THE 95 TO 100 DEGREE RANGE DEPENDING ON
THE TIMING OF THE FRONT.
* HEAT INDICES…PEAK AFTERNOON HEAT INDEX READINGS TODAY THROUGH
FRIDAY ARE LIKELY TO RANGE FROM 105 TO POSSIBLY AS HIGHS AS 115
DEGREES. OPPRESSIVE HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL CONTINUE DURING THE
NIGHTTIME HOURS IN THE CITY WHERE HEAT INDICES WILL SPEND MOST
OF THE NIGHT IN THE 90S.
* OTHER…WEAK LAKE BREEZES COULD OFFER SOME TEMPORARY LATE
AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING RELIEF RIGHT ALONG THE LAKE TODAY
AND AGAIN THURSDAY…HOWEVER BY MID EVENING WINDS WILL TURN
OFFSHORE AND ANY SLIGHT LAKE COOLING WILL BE BLOWN OFFSHORE WITH
TEMPERATURES AND HEAT INDICES RISING AGAIN.
* IMPACTS…THE LONG DURATION OF THIS HEAT WAVE COMBINED WITH
LITTLE OR NO RELIEF FROM THE OPPRESSIVE CONDITIONS AT NIGHT WILL
PROVE PARTICULARLY TAXING TO ANYONE WITHOUT ACCESS TO AIR
CONDITIONING. PERSONS WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING…ESPECIALLY THE
SICK AND ELDERLY WHO ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE HEATS EFFECTS
SHOULD SPEND AT LEAST SEVERAL HOURS EACH DAY IN AIR CONDITIONING
TO HELP REDUCE THE TOLL THE HEAT WILL TAKE ON YOUR BODY.
PERSONS IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO CAN CALL 3…1…1 FOR CITY
SERVICES INCLUDING WELL BEING CHECKS AND FOR INFORMATION ON THE
LOCATIONS OF THE NEAREST COOLING CENTERS.
AIR QUALITY ALERT IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM THIS MORNING TO MIDNIGHT
CDT THURSDAY NIGHT……AIR QUALITY ALERT IN EFFECT TODAY AND THURSDAY JULY 5TH…
THE ILLINOIS ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY HAS DETERMINED THAT AN
AIR POLLUTION ACTION DAY WILL BE DECLARED FOR WEDNESDAY JULY 4TH AND
FOR THURSDAY JULY 5TH FOR THE GREATER CHICAGO METROPOLITAN AREA
INCLUDING THE COUNTIES OF …COOK…DUPAGE…KANE…KENDALL…GRUNDY…LAKE…MCHENRY AND WILL.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS…IF YOU WORK OR SPEND TIME OUTSIDE. WHEN
POSSIBLE…RESCHEDULE STRENUOUS ACTIVITIES TO EARLY MORNING OR
EVENING. KNOW THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HEAT EXHAUSTION AND HEAT
STROKE. WEAR LIGHT WEIGHT AND LOOSE FITTING CLOTHING WHEN
POSSIBLE AND DRINK PLENTY OF WATER.
TO REDUCE RISK DURING OUTDOOR WORK…THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND
HEALTH ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS SCHEDULING FREQUENT REST BREAKS
IN SHADED OR AIR CONDITIONED ENVIRONMENTS. ANYONE OVERCOME BY
HEAT SHOULD BE MOVED TO A COOL AND SHADED LOCATION. HEAT STROKE
IS AN EMERGENCY…CALL 9 1 1.
AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING MEANS THAT A PROLONGED PERIOD OF
DANGEROUSLY HOT TEMPERATURES WILL OCCUR. THE COMBINATION OF HOT
TEMPERATURES AND HIGH HUMIDITY WILL CREATE A DANGEROUS SITUATION
IN WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES ARE LIKELY. DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS…STAY
IN AN AIR-CONDITIONED ROOM…STAY OUT OF THE SUN…AND CHECK UP
ON RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS.