Mercury May Break Record Today

Highs of 102 degrees matched the record for Independence Day in Chicago and beat it by a degree in Rockford Wednesday.  Today's expected to be even worse.  "We could see highs a couple or few degrees hotter today and Friday," reported National Weather Service Meteorologist Gino Izzi this morning.

Izzi forecast Chicago max temps both days "perilously close" to Chicago's hottest day ever, 105 degrees, July 24, 1924.

Forecasters expect roughly seasonable temps by late Saturday or Sunday but look for a return to higher-than-average ones by the middle of next week.  Missing throughout the period is any strong likelihood of rain.

In the pic:  Broadcast weathermen reported area temps July 4 were hotter than Hell (MI) where it only reached 101.  They were a lot hotter than Tophet (near Lancaster, MA) where the high was only 89.