Chicago melts in heat wave of triple-digit temps

A young man finds relief from the 90-plus-degree heat in the spray of an open fire hydrant July 3, 2012, on Chicago's west side. / AP Photo

Updated at 11:41 a.m. ET

(CBS News) CHICAGO - Chicago remained under an excessive heat warning Thursday with temperatures again poised to exceed 100 degrees, and parts of the city are beginning to buckle under the strain, CBS Chicago station WBBM-TV reports.

With a high of 102 degrees Wednesday, Chicago tied a record dating from 1911 for the Fourth of July, and the forecast high for Thursday is even steamier, leading the city's public schools chief to cancel summer classes at 18 schools.

As of 5 a.m., it was already 80 degrees while the normal high for the day is only 84. The highs for the coming days -- 103 for Thursday and 104 for Friday -- are forecast to be a few degrees shy of the hottest temperatures ever recorded in the city.

Thursday's triple-digit high is expected to be reached just as the Chicago White Sox throw out the first pitch at U.S. Cellular Field at 1:10 p.m. Central time. The National Weather Service said heat indices could peak at 118 degrees.

(Watch at left a "CBS This Morning" report on the nationwide heat wave)

The city remains under an excessive heat warning until 10 p.m. Friday. The weather service advises minimizing time outside, wearing loose-fitting clothing, drinking plenty of water and scheduling frequent rest breaks.

On top of all that, an air quality alert is in effect through Thursday night for northern Illinois and northwest Indiana. Increased ozone levels will make stress on the body even worse, particularly for the very young or elderly and those with existing respiratory problems.

The ongoing heat wave is believed to be responsible for one death. Ioan Kendrick, 95, died Tuesday night at her home. While her autopsy has been deemed inconclusive, the Cook County Medical Examiner's office said her death may have been heat-related, according to published reports.

In addition, at least 232 people have been taken to area hospitals in Chicago so far because of the heat.

City officials are taking the heat wave very seriously, particularly due to the risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Some of the symptoms of heat exhaustion include heavy sweating, paleness, muscle cramps, a fast and weak pulse and fast and shallow breathing.

Untreated heat exhaustion can lead to heat stroke, which is defined by a body temperature of more than 105.1 degrees. Someone suffering from heat stroke may suffer from dry skin, a rapid pulse, dizziness, fatigue, seizure and hallucinations.

The heat has also taken a physical toll on the city, causing a huge section of pavement in one neighborhood to buckle Wednesday afternoon.

With temperatures topping 100 degrees, the pavement cracked and rose 2 to 3 feet into the air, prompting authorities to close the adjoining street, which officials were planning to close anyway to set up for a food festival.

No one was injured in the pavement buckling.

[NinthSt78]

Might be the reason why they built it next to a beach with a lake full of cold water.

[ajvw]

Chicago melting...we can only hope

[misands]

I ain't believin' in none of this liberal global warmin', no how!

[misands]

Empire - The world could burst into flames and idiot conservatives like you will still be in denial.

[MegaProcrastination]

I can't even imagine living in a place where temps reach 100 and people start dying. Around here summer doesn't even get started until it hits 90+, when it warms up enough to start water activities. I feel for those people, although maybe some of them should be spending more time outside and away from air conditioning. At the same time, don't many of the apartment buildings there have no AC at all because it is so much cooler? Yesterday our high barely got to 90, and only in the late afternoon and early evening, so we turned the AC on for a couple of hours.

I'm really confused by the news reports of increasing temperatures "everywhere". Sure, there is much of that going on in some areas but not everywhere. We've been cooler here almost all spring (did have one or two days in the 90s back in April, then a few more in May and early June) up until now. This weekend our "monsoon season" will start (and it's even a tad bit late) and we'll see over 100F with high humidity for probably the next three to four weeks but that's normal for here.

[lloydbest1]

Both Louisville2_0 and EmpireGeorge have been the primary spear carriers for the opposition to the premise of man-caused Global Warming on these boards.

It has been suggested by some that those who are the most forthright about denying global warming or, at least, the man-caused aspects of it are also the ones most heavily invested in a lifestyle that encourages a relatively high use of fossil fuel and are committed to a standard of living that is completely unsustainable.

That is likely true but Louisville and George may or may not be among those who are rampant resource rapists; may or may not have their livelihoods tied up in reaource extraction and may or may not be conspicuous consuumers. It doesn't matter. They provide a perfect lead-in to what follows. It's my opinion, but I think it is valid and the conclusions I draw from it and the path forward we need to take NO MATTER WHAT the climate is doing, is the same.....

It isn't just the effluent from our use of hydrocarbon energy sources and the heat retaining effects they may have that need worry us. It's the fact we are drawing stocks much faster than they are being replenished and no amount of farmland given over to ethanol or biodiesel will make up for the shortfall when (note I did not say "if") we run out.

Let's just say that we ARE able to develope energy sources that are completely independant of dead plants and dinosaurs - and we do this while there is still oil left in the ground. The amount of crude that goes into making fertiliser, asphalt, plastics, clothing (yes! clothing believe it or not) and lubricants is staggering. We will still run out if, starting today, we don't use another drop of oil or natural gas for heating our homes or running our vehicles.

In point of fact, a for-all-intents-infinite supply (or supplies) of energy is very feasable and even given the little investment we're putting into it now will likely be realized in 20 years or so.

It isn't just energy we're running out of.

It's the rest of it I'm worried about. We are using up virtually all natural resources that makes life meaningful for us, much faster than they can be replaced. Water, soil, timber (as opposed to merely forests but them, too) fisheries, metals, wetlands....You name it. All gone in a couple of generations at the most optimistic of projections. Coal is supposed to last 200 or so more years, but that's assuming our demand for it won't increase. And what's 200 years anyway? If we want anything left for our great-great....great grandchildren, we need to be thinking about 200 generations or 200 millenia. Farmland is already at a premium and is going fast. With over 7 billion mouths to feed we will have a dicey time of it just feeding who we have now. What's gonna happen if our arable land area decreases 20% while our populatuion grows another 20?

At the living standards most of us in the developed world are accustomed to today, there is no chance in hell we can expect our resource base to last beyond our lifetime or that of our kids or grandkids.

So, what has this to do with Global Warming or, denial of same? It's my premise that those who are in the most serious denial are also the ones most protective of their lifestyles; the ones most opposed to regulation of who "well" they can live. Folks I'm not saying you're wrong. I am not saying that Global Warming is for real and not just so much hot air (sorry). I am very careful in this post not to take a stand.

Because I don't care.

Whether OR NOT the signal we are now seeing is for-real and whether OR NOT mankind is a cause is completely irrelavent. TOTALLY. If we are to retain what is left of our civilisation, we need to get used to the idea that nearly all of us in the developed world and maybe half of the rest of us need to reduce our living standards and simplify our lives. For some of us the need is drastic and critical; for others it can be less immediate and more gradual but the point here is:

If we continue with business as usual, living standards WILL come down. Will crash regardless of the truth of Climate Change. One way or another they will cave and how that happens is up to us. Either face this unpleasantness now while there is time to get used to a new austerity and adjust or wait until we run dry and have no time to acclimate. There is no third option.

[erasmus111]

"It has been suggested by some that those who are the most forthright about denying global warming or, at least, the man-caused aspects of it are also the ones most heavily invested in a lifestyle that encourages a relatively high use of fossil fuel and are committed to a standard of living that is completely unsustainable. "

From reading George and Louisville's comments through the years, that would be a big YES.

[erasmus111]

"minimal A/C "

Bull. I bet that A/C is just a hummin' 24/7.

[tmn]

I've always felt Chicago was one hot town. Now I have proof!

[TimeToEvolve]

All that scientific data and consensus among geologists and climatologists about man made global climate change is being borne out.

That is what the key to the entire reality of the change is the RATE of change. Of course there are seasonal fluctuations. But the key is the hots keep getting higher on average (40,000 records since 1/1/12) and the lows aren't as low (only about 5,000 low records set during that same time).

Changes in climate that used to take tens of THOUSANDS of years are now being documented in ten years or so. Scary, scary stuff.

[MegaProcrastination]

I don't find it so scary. It will take adaptation but it's been done before. At least up to twenty years ago there were people from different parts of the world remembering VERY different climates where they lived. These people had already experienced climate changes to the point of farmers in those areas having to change the crops they grew to accommodate. Where I live, spring and early summers have been getting slightly cooler while our winters have been getting warmer (we were bumped up from zone 6 to 7 not all that long ago). This also is a huge ag area plus many people grow their own gardens. All of a sudden varieties that have thrived in those home gardens for years aren't doing well because of weather changes. It will take some time but we will adapt.

[knewsteerrrrr]

"A young man finds relief from the 90-plus-degree heat in the spray of an open fire hydrant July 3, 2012, on Chicago's west side"

Looks more like a young hoodlum or gang member to me in that pic.


"the ongoing heat wave is believed to be responsible for one death. Ioan Kendrick, 95, died Tuesday night at her home. While her autopsy has been deemed inconclusive, the Cook County Medical Examiner's office said her death may have been heat-related, according to published reports."

At 95 she was ready to kick off anyway, no autopsy needed.

[erasmus111]

You are a piece of work. What made you such an angry, bitter, nasty person?

"Looks more like a young hoodlum or gang member to me in that pic."

REALLY?? And what tells you that? The color of his skin?? I guess I can add RACIST to my list. What I see is a young man getting relief from the heat. Just like it says.

Do you have any friends, other than your dogs?

[MegaProcrastination]

Quit being such a troll.