Experts urge caution as heat wave arrives in Chicago area

Chicagoans are encouraged to keep themselves cool as an extreme heat warning began Saturday morning and is in effect through Monday night, according to the National Weather Service.

Saturday's high is an expected 96 degrees with a heat index that could hit 105, according to the NWS. A breeze may give people a reprieve from the oppressive heat, with gusts expected up to 40 miles per hour.

Sunday is forecast to be similar with a high of 96 and a heat index of 103, the NWS said. Gusts are forecast around 30 mph.

Monday, which is expected to be the last day of the heat wave, could be the hottest of the three. The high is expected to reach 98 degrees and 25-mph gusts are possible before showers could hit the area Monday night.

NWS experts and city officials are urging people to stay inside in air-conditioned rooms when possible and to stay hydrated.

"First and foremost, I want to make sure every Chicagoan understands the danger of this moment and anytime we have extreme heat,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said at a press conference Friday morning.

Brett Borchadt, a meteorologist with the NWS, warned that "heat impacts are cumulative" and since the heat wave is expected to last several days, people should take extra precaution. Because of that, it's possible this heat wave could be deadly.

Since 2018, the city has seen 35 heat-related deaths, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office archive. Heat emergencies and deaths are on the decline overall. In a study of heat deaths and other heat-related emergencies released this month, city officials said the zip codes 60620, 60623, 60628 and 60651 saw the most calls for service during heat advisories in 2023 and in years since.

Some of those areas, including Englewood and other majority Black neighborhoods, were hardest-hit during a 1995 heat wave that left 739 people dead across the city.

Around 11% of the city's population doesn't have access to air conditioning. With that being the case, the city's cooling centers are scheduled to be open through the weekend and beyond.

The following cooling centers will be open Saturday through Tuesday:

• The Chicago Department of Family and Support Services will have six community service locations open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Garfield Center will be open for cooling on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with case management services until 4 p.m.
• Chicago Park District, Chicago Public Library, City Colleges of Chicago and Chicago Police Department locations will be open for cooling during regular hours of operation.
• When temperatures are above 90 degrees, the city’s 21 senior centers are open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; the center at 78 E. Washington St. is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.