Despite a long stretch of hot and humid days early in the month, August as a whole finished with below normal temperatures, according to the Chicago office of the National Weather Service.

It's the final weekend of the summer to enjoy swimming at Chicago's outdoor pools and lakefront beaches, which will close after Labor Day on Monday.

Extreme heat isn’t just uncomfortable; it’s the top cause of weather-related fatalities nationwide.

Mayor Brandon Johnson on Tuesday blamed climate change and a poorly built water management system on the recent flooding impacting the West and Southwest sides.

Temperatures are expected to soar between 92 and 97 degrees. High humidity will make it feel more like 105 to 115 degrees, the weather service said.

Thirty years ago, a heat wave settled over northeast Illinois. By the time the heat relented, 739 people had died and the city was using refrigerated trucks as makeshift morgues.

The National Weather Service is warning of an ongoing threat for flash flooding in the Chicago region through Saturday.

Texas and the rest of the nation are mourning as the death toll rises to 120 almost a week after catastrophic flooding devastated parts of the state over Fourth of July weekend.

The 10-year summer average of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s climate extreme index, which tracks hurricanes, heavy rain, droughts and high and low temperatures, is 58% higher than it was in the 1980s.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning at 9:46 p.m. Tuesday night for Chicago and Cicero and the situation quickly escalated.

Operators of Camp Mystic, a century-old summer camp in the Texas Hill Country, said Monday that they lost 27 campers and counselors, confirming their worst fears after a wall of water slammed into cabins built along the edge of the Guadalupe River.

On May 16, Chicago saw its first major dust storm since the Dust Bowl. The storm dropped visibility in the city to near zero as wind gusts blew over 60 mph at times, according to the National Weather Service.

The Trump administration’s quiet backtracking from the firings and voluntary retirements — which are also paired with new hires to fill vacancies those departures created — come as federal agencies are still implementing their “reduction-in-force” plans as part of a push for spending cuts.

According to the National Weather Service, oppressive levels of heat and humidity will stick around through Monday afternoon, with highs expected in the mid 90s and heat indices topping out at 105 degrees.

An extreme heat warning has been issued for Cook County from Saturday through Monday. Afternoon temperatures are predicted to be in the 90s. Coupled with high humidity, heat indices could reach 100-105 degrees each day, according to the National Weather Service.

Heat remains the deadliest form of extreme weather in the U.S., contributing to more than 800 deaths annually on average since 1999, a 2023 study found.