Temperatures and precipitation weren’t too far above or below normal, but those tornadoes that hit the Chicago area in mid-July rewrote the record book.

It’s always hot this time of year in central Arizona, but 2024 is proving to be an endless summer with especially high temperatures in Phoenix. On Tuesday, the city hit its 100th straight day with at least 100 degree temperatures. That’s long since shattered the record of 76 days in a row set back in 1993, according to data from the National Weather Service.

Farmers are also planting more acres of corn, in part to meet demand for ethanol, according to the USDA’s Economic Research Service. It all means more plants working harder to stay cool — pumping out humidity that adds to steamy misery like that blanketing much of the U.S. this week.

Chicago broke the record of 97 degrees set for this day in 1973, according to the weather service.

Chicago is under an excessive heat warning through Tuesday night, with temperatures expected to soar into the mid- to upper-90s and humidity that will make it feel even hotter.

After a string of fall-like days, the real August is showing up this weekend to reclaim summer. 

While parts of the U.S. experienced record-breaking heat, July in Chicago was actually slightly cooler than normal.

The National Weather Service in Chicago has so far reported 31 tornadoes in one storm event — surpassing the previous daily record of 22 measured just last year. While there’s debate over how these storms should be defined — researchers are looking into the factors leading to extreme weather and how to protect communities.

A gallon of gas in Chicago is now selling for an average of $4.34, according to AAA. That’s 27 cents more expensive than just a week ago after a tornado narrowly missed the Joliet Refinery and knocked power out to the Channahon, Illinois, facility.

Several other areas also suffered damage from straight-line winds, according to the National Weather Service.

The tally could continue to rise as survey crews are still in the field investigating damage at numerous additional sites across the region.

The National Weather Service has so far confirmed 11 tornadoes on Monday, and 17 total between Sunday and Monday.

Multiple tornado warnings were issued throughout the region, and the weather service will send out survey teams to confirm how many tornadoes actually touched down Monday. 

These are not your “ordinary run-of-the-mill winds,” the weather service said.

The remnants of Beryl are expected to sideswipe northeastern Illinois and northwestern Indiana on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.

As temperatures and humidity soar outside, what’s happening inside the human body can become a life-or-death battle decided by just a few degrees.