CHICAGO — As a second straight day of hot soupy temperatures approaching triple digits hung over much of the Midwest on Tuesday, residents looked for ways to stay cool and indoors.
Darrell Taylor, 61, has no air-conditioning in his apartment in Chicago, where it reached a record-breaking 98 degrees Fahrenheit. He described it as feeling like an oven. Running two fans did not improve things.
''I put a cold towel on my face. It's only working a little bit,'' he said before retreating to the home of a relative who has air conditioning.
The National Weather Service issued excessive heat warnings and advisories Tuesday in large swaths of Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and into Mid-Atlantic states including Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The weather service warned of ''dangerously hot conditions'' and predicted heat index values — which take into account the temperature and relative humidity and indicate how hot it feels outdoors — of up to 110 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit in some locations, including Chicago. The city's high broke the record of 97 degrees set for this day in 1973, according to the weather service.
But relief was expected soon, with cooler temperatures expected starting Wednesday.
''The heat still persists across the middle part of the country but there is some much cooler air working in by the end of the month,'' Josh Weiss, a National Weather Service meteorologist said.
Many cities, including Chicago, opened cooling centers. Some schools planned early dismissal because of the heat. An Indiana zoo cut its hours while a Chicago zoo gave animals ice treats. And one Chicago church collected thousands bottles of water to give away.
Numerous schools in Ohio planned for early dismissals on Tuesday and Wednesday due to the expected heat, while some schools canceled classes due to power outages. Chicago schools started the academic year as planned this week, but school officials announced that outdoor athletics were canceled through Tuesday. Some suburban Chicago schools had early dismissal. Also, dozens of Philadelphia city schools without adequate air conditioning planned early dismissal Tuesday and Wednesday.