Chicago-area residents without air conditioning struggle as temps hover close to 100 degrees
Temperatures reached 97 degrees at O'Hare on Monday, beating the 1887 record of 96 degrees.
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Opening the oven is nearly unbearable.
Inside a searing hot second-floor Cicero apartment without air conditioning, the freezer is the only small space for relief.
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"Usually get a water bottle or something, once it's frozen. Just rub it on, try to get through," said resident Silas Ratliff.
Getting through is relative; a singular fan and a cross breeze is the best they can hope for.
"For the most part, that's about the most you can get as far as air circulation," Ratliff said.
The hum of a cooling air conditioning unit is a pricey luxury Ratliff and many people just can't afford.
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Even the sweltering breeze on an overpass bench is some kind of circulation for Bryant, a man living without air conditioning in Chicago.
"It feels a lot better here than it does in my apartment right now," Bryant said.
Temperatures soared into the 90s, and in some areas, the heat index is making it feel like we have topped 100 degrees.
Temperatures reached 97 degrees at O'Hare on Monday, beating the 1887 record of 96 degrees.
The record-setting heat is punishing, forcing cooling mechanisms and even CTA trains, to quit under duress.
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"We get a lot of cars with air conditioning problems and things like that," said auto mechanic Hector Figueroa said.
Cars in need of cooling repairs have filled the lot of one Berwyn mechanic shop.
Hovering over a hot engine makes a laborious job all the more taxing and is enough to call the day a little early.
"It will be good for the guys to cool off and go home early," Figueroa said.
It's going to be a long, hot week.
"Put some water on there, let it run and then, like throughout the day I do this, wipe my face, the back of my neck
Piecing together any cooling reprieve is a matter of survival.
These temperatures will be around for a few more days, and Chicagoans are doing what they can to beat the heat.
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Humboldt Park Beach offers a pretty good size body of water in their own backyard.
The summer tradition for many West Side residents was closed for repair over the last four years, but it is back on Monday, just in time for the heat wave.
"I'm so glad it is back. Thank you, city of Chicago!" said resident Millie Alvarado.
Chicago Park District beaches and pools traditionally open about a week after the city's schools finish up for the year.
It's not normally this hot in mid-June, so the crowds are a little bigger than normal. But Park District officials say they're ready.
SEE ALSO | Chicago swimming pools, splash pads and other water activities to keep you cool amid heat wave
"It's a rough days for our lifeguards, but that's what they're here for," said Acting Aquatics Director Andy Walsh.
The Smith Pool on the West Side is also drawing a big crowd for the opening on Monday.
While swimming is a good way to cool off in the heat, doctors say those who have to be outside and cannot jump in a pool need to be aware of the signs of heat exhaustion including feeling lethargic, dizzy or extra thirsty. Ignoring these signs could lead to heat stroke.
"Fluids, fluids, fluids. Super important and I would advise against caffeinated or alcoholic beverages as much as possible because they can dehydrate you," said Rush Family Medicine Dr. Kush Desai.
