Chicagoans caught outside on Tuesday sought relief from the heat any way they could as the city entered its second stretch of 90-degree-plus temperatures in a month.
Icicles, cold water, and Gatorade were the provisions provided to beat the heat for Wendella boat tour employees standing outside near Trump Tower, says 21-year-old ticket seller Mahmoud Abdul-Latif.
As for the customers, he said they usually cool off by the time the boat departs and are hit with strong breezes. But, when it is sunny, many of them eventually seek the shade below deck.
“That’s where most people usually are at by the end of the tour,” he said.
Temperatures peaked at 96 degrees Tuesday afternoon at O’Hare Airport, shy of the record 100 degrees set in 1998, according to the National Weather Service.
An air quality alert was in effect until at least Wednesday for the area. The air quality could worsen on Thursday and Friday, when wildfire smoke could reach the region, according to the Illinois Department of Health. State health experts encouraged people to stay indoors, use stronger air filters and turn off fresh air intakes on air conditioning. They also suggested limiting time outside.
The combination of warmer temperatures and high humidity can increase the risk for heat-related illness, especially for older adults, young children, people spending long periods of time outside and individuals without reliable access to cooling, according to AccuWeather meteorologists.
Many Chicagoan took to the beaches to cool off on Tuesday.
At Ohio Street Beach, insurance broker Eric Hesse welcomed the heat as he paddleboarded to a lighthouse.
But even as an outdoor enthusiast, Hesse, 43, expressed empathy for those stuck on the city’s transit systems.
“I used to have to put on a suit and hop on the Red Line in this weather,” Hesse said. “It was horrendous … because the AC is usually not working all that great.”
Some commuters at Chicago Union Station commented on the humidity they felt exiting the buildings tunnels.
Freddy Orosco was waiting outside the station for a bus back to Wisconsin. He was in town visiting family. He said his elderly parents have been forced to stay indoors, and only leave the house for groceries in the early morning or at night when it is cooler.
He said the city could do more to help those vulnerable to the heat by deploying cooling buses and collapsible shade umbrellas at busy intersections.
When he’s not traveling, Orosco said he prefers to stay indoors if the weather is dangerously warm.
“If it’s really hot, I’m just going to stay home because there are no cooling spaces [outside] for us,” Orosco said.
Since July 1, at least five people have died, at least in part, due to heat in the Chicago area.
Heat indices are anticipated to reach the triple digits through Thursday, and highs are expected to drop to the low 90s Friday.
Contributing: Violet Miller
