CHICAGO | An official National Weather Service Extreme Heat Warning is active for Chicago and Cook County, with the current listed expiration or ending time set for 1 July at 11:00 PM EDT.
What is active now
The primary alert is an Extreme Heat Warning. NWS lists the alert severity as Severe, the urgency as Expected and the certainty as Likely. The affected area listed in the alert includes Northern Cook, Central Cook and Southern Cook.
CGN News is publishing this severe weather alert because official National Weather Service alert data includes Cook County, Illinois, within the CGN coverage area. Readers should rely on the latest county-specific NWS alert before making immediate safety decisions.
Why it matters
Extreme heat can be dangerous because risk builds over time. High daytime heat combined with warm nights can prevent the body from recovering, especially for older adults, people with pre-existing health conditions, outdoor workers, children, unhoused residents and people without reliable air conditioning.
Chicago residents should identify cooling options, check on neighbors and relatives, reduce strenuous outdoor activity and avoid leaving children or pets in vehicles. Residents of the city of Chicago can call 311 to request well-being checks for elderly friends or family members or to ask about cooling-center information, according to the official instruction carried in the alert text.
Safety guidance
Drink fluids, stay in air-conditioned spaces when possible, stay out of direct sun during the hottest part of the day and use shade and rest breaks if outdoor work cannot be avoided. Heat illness can become an emergency. Anyone with signs of heat stroke should be moved to a cooler place and emergency help should be requested immediately.
What can change
Heat alerts can be extended, replaced, downgraded or canceled as forecasts and observations change. Nearby counties may have different alerts, and conditions can vary between lakefront neighborhoods, inland areas and work sites.
What to watch next
Readers should monitor National Weather Service Chicago, NOAA, local emergency management, city cooling-center information and trusted local broadcast sources for updates.
Additional Reporting By: National Weather Service; NOAA; National Weather Service Chicago