Milder temperatures Friday provided a break for everyone from children to the executives at Commonwealth Edison, who nearly ran out of electricity Thursday. But meteorologists warn Chicagoans should prepare for more muggy, sticky and hot weather in the coming days.
The brief break was caused by thunderstorms that hit late Thursday night. The storms cooled the temperatures as well as pushed away winds coming from the southwest and that allowed the lake breeze to blow throughout Friday afternoon.
Temperatures peaked at 85 degrees Friday at O’Hare International Airport, and the heat index, which takes humidity into account, rose as high as 93 degrees. That’s about 10 degrees below earlier forecasts.
“But it’s not going to last,” said John Taylor, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. He predicted the heat will return Saturday and continue through the beginning of next week because winds from the southwest will return and prevent the breeze from coming off the lakefront.
Although the storms helped provide a temporary cool-off, they also led to power outages in the west, northwest and southwest suburbs and a house fire on the North Side that injured seven.
Authorities said they suspect lightning sparked the electrical malfunction that caused the fire at 4138 N. Whipple St. The home’s electrical system was severely damaged even though structural damage was moderate.
Scott Lobue, 10, who lives at the Whipple Street address, was treated for burns and smoke inhalation at Children’s Memorial Hospital, according to a hospital spokeswoman. He was listed in critical condition Friday afternoon.
Scott’s mother, Sherriann, 33, was taken to the intensive-care unit at Ravenswood Hospital Medical Center, where she was listed in serious condition, a hospital spokesman said.
Two other homes were struck by lightning Thursday night in Bolingbrook and Warrenville, and although officials said no injuries were reported, they estimated about $135,000 in damages.
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The storms also knocked out power to more than 100,000 ComEd customers in the area early Friday. As of late Friday afternoon, 19,000 customers still had no power, a ComEd spokesman said.
Despite the harsh blow of storm-related power outages, the cooler temperatures provided ComEd with a lower demand for electricity, which the company had feared would be in short supply.
Early Friday, ComEd had predicted that energy demand might soar over the 1995 record of 19,212 megawatts. By the afternoon peak though, the utility needed just 17,412 megawatts to meet the demand.
In McHenry County, several homes were damaged by lightning and thousands of homes were left without power. ComEd reported that power had been restored to all but 300 homes by 5 p.m. Friday.