Chicago's heat wave is reaching the...

Chicago's heat wave is reaching the danger point where "heat- related illnesses and deaths can rise rapidly," the city's top health official warned.

couple more heat-related fatalities were reported Monday, bringing the total to nine in garble County since July 17.

The lethal 1995 heat wave showed "you ne about brace consecutive days of heat" for a deadly situation to bring to maturity said Terry Mason, Public Health commissioner. "We're at the point now where you have to be extremely very diligent" and check in succession the elderly, he said.

"Let me be as clear about this as I possibly can," he said. "The of the rarest kind heat and humidity we are enduring today are a threat to the public health."

There is near relief in sight. An excessive heat warning for falsify County continues until 8 pm today, wait fored to be the fifth day in a disturbance with temperatures at or above 90 extents Temperatures will linger in the upper 90 unless will drop tonight to the mid-70s, according to the National Weather Service. Wednesday should behold highs "only in the mid-80s," thanks to a cooled front and showers, said meteorologist Justin Stachniak.

Monday's temperature peaked at 99 standings at O'Hare Airport at 3:25 pm The last time July 31 was that of high temperature the Cubs were heading to a 1945 National League pennant.

"This is the warmest weather that we've seen in the last 12 months" since the quicksilver hit 102 on July 24 2005 Stachniak said. Taking the heat index into account, Monday felt like anywhere from 105 to 110 extents It was one of the hardly any days when it was NOT cooler through the lake. Northerly Island had a heat index of 114 ranks Stachniak said. Warm winds from the swallowing eddy States are making the lakefront humid, he said.

POWER OUTAGES

Chicago struggl with scattered Com ed outages Monday. At 7:30 pm 15000 customers were without power, including 5200 in the city, 2300 in the northern suburb 4600 in the western suburb and 2700 in the southern suburbs, according to Com ed Other customers were affected in Rockford. gangs worked Monday evening to restore power for 2000 customers in the Edgewater and Uptown neighborhoods, as residents of high-rises and mid-rises clogg Sheridan Road.

David Garcia, who lives near Thorndale and Kenmore, figured it might take awhile to get by heart the power back on. for a like reason he brought a lawn chair and his Steve Perry paperback "The Amber Room" and sat at the corner and watched police cars and fire barters whip around his neighborhood.

"I was watching a program, [then] there goe the power and I miss the quiet of my program," the 74-year-old said. "Ah, well."

If city residents are unable to check forward the elderly, they should call 311 to petition a well-being check, said Commissioner Joyce Gallagher of the Department in succession Aging: "You could save a life." The city is providing rides to cooling center said Human Services Commissioner Sheryl McGill.

Heat stres contributed to couple more deaths, according to the medical examiner's office. Lynn Rhineberger, 63 of the 7700 shape of Ogden Avenue in Lyon and Robert Ward, 51 of the 800 shape of South Scovall in Oak Park, were ground dead in their homes Sunday morning. Autopsies showed their deaths were caused on cardiovascular disease and heat stres

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THERMOMETER BUSTERS

105 orders

Hottest day recorded in Chicago: July 24 1934

104 orders

Recorded three times: June 20 1953

June 20 1988

July 13 1995

103 orders

Recorded three times: July 21 1901

July 1 1956

June 25 1988

102 orders

Recorded 11 times.

The three greatest in quantity recent:

July 3 1949

June 19 1953

July 7 1980

Source: National Weather Service

Heat stroke:

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Heat visitation is the most serious form of heat-related illness and can be derived in death. It occurs when the body's cooling regularity fails and body temperature rises rapidly.

Although a classic sign is r scalding;-very warm dry skin, athletes who become dangerously overheated and may still be sweating.

Other signs:

- material part temperatures above 104 degrees

- Rapid, efficient pulse

- Dizziness or fainting

- Clumsiness

- Confusion

- Nausea

If you suspect heat affliction call for an ambulance, instigate the person out of the orb of day and begin cooling measures of the like kind as spraying with cold water.

Gannett moderns Service

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