1995 Heat Wave

On this day in 1995, a heat advisory is issued, warning of an impending record-breaking heat wave. By the time the heat breaks a week later, nearly 1,000 people are dead in Illinois and Wisconsin. 740 of the reported dead where from Chicago.

On July 13, the temperature in Chicago hit 106 degrees Fahrenheit and the heat index, which combines temperature with humidity for an estimate of how hot it feels, was above 120 F.