The end of the week forecast is calling for it to be excessively hot, if not dangerously so. That has some municipalities offering cooling centers and the National Weather Service, the Illinois Department of Health and Human Serves and IDOT offering caution:
IDOT Alert:
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is urging motorists to be on the alert for the possibility of pavement buckling on roads in the next few days due to the recent rainfall and extreme heat.
The combination of very high temperatures and precipitation can lead to pavement expanding and ultimately buckling or blowing out, causing uneven driving surfaces in some areas. As long as the heat and humidity persists, IDOT will be monitoring the situation, with crews available to make repairs as quickly as possible if they are needed.
Motorists should be aware of slowing traffic and be prepared to move over for maintenance workers and other emergency personnel.
In addition, with the extreme heat, you are encouraged to carry drinking water with you when you travel. Getting stranded could be dangerous and dehydration can happen quickly in these conditions without proper hydration.
Peoria Cooling Centers:
The City of Peoria is offering public facilities as relief from the hot weather. The lobby of the Police Department on South-West Adams Street is open 24 hours. City of Peoria Fire Stations are also available daily until 10:00 p.m. The Peoria Fire Department wants people to know they will be asked to step out of the station when firefighters are on emergency calls.
Click here for a link to the list of public facility in Peoria that serve as cooling centers.
Excessive Heat Watch & Hazardous Weather Outlook
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
300 PM CDT WED JUL 20 2016...DANGEROUS HEAT EXPECTED....
...EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH IN EFFECT THURS AFTERNOON THROUGH SAT EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES..KNOX-STARK-PEORIA-MARSHALL-WOODFORD-FULTON-TAZEWELL-MCLEAN-SCHUYLER-MASON-LOGAN-DE WITT-PIATT-CHAMPAIGN-VERMILION-CASS-MENARD-SCOTT-MORGAN-SANGAMON-CHRISTIAN-MACON-MOULTRIE-DOUGLAS- COLES-EDGAR-SHELBY-CUMBERLAND-CLARK-EFFINGHAM-JASPER-CRAWFORD- CLAY-RICHLAND-LAWRENCE
* TEMPERATURES...HIGHS IN THE LOWER TO MID 90S ARE EXPECTED EACH
DAY FROM THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...WITH FRIDAY LIKELY TO SEE
THE HOTTEST TEMPERATURES. LITTLE RELIEF IS EXPECTED AT
NIGHT...WITH LOWS ONLY IN THE MID 70S.* HEAT INDEX...HEAT INDEX VALUES WILL REACH TRIPLE DIGITS BY LATE
MORNING EACH DAY. PEAK HEAT INDEX VALUES AROUND 110 ARE LIKELY
ON FRIDAY...AND WILL RANGE FROM 105 TO 110 ON THURSDAY AND
SATURDAY. SOME AREAS MAY SEE THESE HIGH VALUES LINGER INTO
SUNDAY AS WELL...PRIMARILY EAST OF I-55.* IMPACTS...THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF HEAT RELATED ILLNESSES FOR
PEOPLE WITH PROLONGED OUTDOOR EXPOSURE...OR WITHOUT ACCESS TO
AIR CONDITIONING. THE ELDERLY...SMALL CHILDREN...AND PETS ARE
ESPECIALLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE HEAT.PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH MEANS THAT A PROLONGED PERIOD OF HOT
TEMPERATURES IS EXPECTED. THE COMBINATION OF HOT TEMPERATURES AND
HIGH HUMIDITY WILL COMBINE TO CREATE A DANGEROUS SITUATION IN
WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES ARE POSSIBLE. DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS...STAY
IN AN AIR CONDITIONED ROOM...STAY OUT OF THE SUN...AND CHECK UP
ON RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS.
