Along the way the air conditioner of the truck failed, causing the temperature to rise in the cargo area of the truck, according to the post. Temperatures in the Chicago area reached 92 degrees Fahrenheit on Thursday, the National Weather Service said.

Parts of the Chicago area are under excessive heat warnings and heat advisories Thursday with temperatures expected to top out at 96 degrees along with a heat index into the triple digits, according to the National Weather Service.

It might come as a surprise given our proximity to Lake Michigan, but some of Chicago’s neighbors could soon be facing a water shortage. According to a new report, flooding and scarcity can “wildly alternate in the same place or transpire in proximity to each other.”

The long-term forecast looks bleak. The extreme heat could continue into August in some of the hardest-hit areas and even a brief glimmer of cooler hope for some parts of the country headed into the weekend will only mean new areas swelter as a heat dome slides west.

Extensive swaths of the northern United States awoke to unhealthy air quality Monday morning or were experiencing it by midafternoon.

No injuries were reported when Wednesday’s storms ripped roofs from buildings and toppled trees in the Chicago area and points west. One tornado touched down near O’Hare Airport, sending passengers dashing for shelter and disrupting hundreds of flights.

The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch until 10 p.m. Wednesday for the Chicago area. Tornado warnings were issued for several regions.

Residents on the West side of the city and its surrounding suburbs were hit particularly hard by flooding. Some areas saw as much as 8 inches of rainfall on July 2, leading to flash floods and extensive property damage.

Heat preparedness has generally improved over the years. Chicago, for example, has expanded its emergency text and email notification system and identified its most vulnerable residents for outreach.

The entire city was drenched with torrential rain earlier this week, but residents on the West Side were hit especially hard as more than 8 inches of rain fell in the Austin community and nearby suburbs.

Earth’s average temperature set a new unofficial record high Thursday, the third such milestone in a week that prominent scientist says could be the hottest in 120,000 years. But it’s also a record with some legitimate scientific questions and caveats.

As much as 8 inches fell in certain areas over the weekend, followed by major flooding. Areas on the city’s West Side and western suburbs saw over 8 inches on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

June is expected to go down as one of the 10 driest months in the state’s history. Farmers are already seeing an impact on their crops and consumers are likely to see an impact soon.

Cities across the U.S. from Medford, Oregon to Tampa, Florida have been hovering at all-time highs, said Zack Taylor, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Beijing reported nine straight days last week when the temperature exceeded 95 F.

The last time Chicago saw nearly 9 inches of rain was Aug. 13-14, 1987, according to the National Weather Service. On average, the city gets 3.7 inches of rain during all of July, according to the National Weather Service.

Already wildfires are consuming three times more of the United States and Canada each year than in the 1980s, and studies predict fire and smoke to worsen.