T-storms may follow 2nd day of heat wave

The Chicago area continued to swelter today, but likely won’t hit a record high and should see 30-degree plunge in temperatures by Thursday after a cold front–with possibly severe thunderstorms–rolls through this evening.

By 3 p.m., the second day of hot and humid weather brought temperatures of 94 degrees at O’Hare International Airport, but the heat wasn’t expected to challenge the 97-degree record set in 1933 for this date, the National Weather Service said.

“It’s looking like we’ll come up short,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Charles Mott.

Still, temperatures readings hit 95 degrees at Midway Airport and Northerly Island at 3 p.m., with a heat index of 96 at the lakefront. The heat index combines temperature and humidity to indicate how hot it actually feels.

Tuesday’s 96-degree high at O’Hare was the highest reading recorded there so early in the season in the 34 years since a 97-degree high on June 4, 1977, according to WGN-TV meteorologist Tom Skilling. In only six of the past 141 years of official weather observations in Chicago has a temperature that warm occurred at such an early date, he reports.

Midway Airport and Northerly Island posted 97-degree highs Tuesday. A hotter temperature hasn’t occurred at Northerly Island since a 98-degree high July 9, 2007, according to Skilling.

The heat wave is expected to come to a crashing end this evening with storms as a cold front moves into the area, the weather service said.

That front will bring dramatic relief to the area, with Thursday’s high in the mid 60s. There is a 40 percent of showers Thursday.