An excessive heat warning has been issued for most of the Chicago area, with heat indices approaching 115 degrees on Tuesday.
According to the National Weather Service, the warning will include McHenry, Lake, DeKalb, Kane, DuPage, LaSalle, Kendall, Grundy, Will and Kankakee counties, and will go into effect at noon Tuesday.
Cook County remains under an excessive heat warning until Tuesday night, according to the National Weather Service.
Most of the area is under a heat advisory Monday, with heat indices exceeding 100 degrees across the area. High humidity and air temperatures in the mid-to-upper 90s are making this period one of the hottest of the year, threatening records on both Monday and Tuesday.
Tuesday’s readings could be even warmer with even more humidity, pushing heat indices up to 110-to-115 degrees, according to officials.
Those experts are advising residents to stay indoors as much as possible, and to avoid strenuous outdoor activities during the day.
Cooling centers are opening around the area to help residents to beat the heat, including in the city of Chicago. Salvation Army locations are also offering cooling centers for residents during the worst of the heat wave.
Temperatures will slowly start to decrease through this weekend, with highs potentially returning to the 70s by Sunday, according to forecast models.