Dangerous heat continues: Third straight heat advisory in effect

Sizzling September:

It's been a sizzling start to September across northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin, with summer refusing to loosen it's grip. Tuesday brought one of the hottest days of the year so far, as Rockford soared to 96 degrees under strong sunshine and a persistent southwesterly wind. Adding to the discomfort, both September 1st and September 2nd featured peak heat index values above 100 degrees. 

3rd Heat Advisory:

With the heat continuing, a third heat advisory has been issued for all of our northern Illinois counties. Unlike the previous two advisories, this one is a bit longer-lived, having gone into effect this morning and remaining in place until 9PM this evening. 

 

Toasty Thursday:

Afternoon temperatures will once again climb into the upper 80s and low 90s, while humidity levels push heat index values into the 100 to 105 range. With another day with dangerous heat expected, make sure heat safety remains a HUGE priority. If you'll be spending an extended time outdoors, be sure to stay hydrated, drink of water, and take frequent breaks in the shade or air conditioning.  

Now, the one thing that could "spare" us from the heat would be thunderstorm chances which we have this morning and then again this evening into tonight. Like yesterday however, the jet is oriented in a way where the highest potential is displaced to our north across portions of Wisconsin, hence the level 2 Slight Risk for scattered strong storms. Roughly two-thirds of southern Wisconsin and most of northern Illinois are under a level 1 of 5 Marginal Risk for severe weather, indicating that any threat for stronger storms locally will be more isolated in nature.