This week's hot weather could set local records.
Heat indexes are expected to top 105 degrees for two consecutive days on Tuesday and Wednesday, a bench mark that triggered a National Weather Service heat advisory.“The City of Chicago’s cooling areas located at the City’s six community service centers will be activated,” the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications said in a statement. The city will require masks inside the centers. They will operate from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.The heat index is projected to be at 104 degrees at 5 p.
Chicagoans in need of cool refuge can also find it in park field houses and libraries, the OCEM statement noted. Those air-conditioned public spaces are expected to be operating as normal. The Chicago Park District’s offerings include cooling centers at 34 field houses. The parks have also activated 176 “water spray features,” spokeswoman Michele Lemons said.
The city is encouraging residents to check in on neighbors and family, avoid leaving pets and people in the car, and watch out for signs of heat-related illness.