A seasonably hot and humid day was observed across central Illinois on August 24th as afternoon high temperatures topped out in the upper 80s to around 90 degrees and heat index values peaked in the middle to upper 90s. A one year-old child died of hyperthermia after being left unattended in a hot vehicle for several hours in Normal in McLean County.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS ILX wrote it up.
A seasonably hot and humid day was observed across central Illinois on August 24th as afternoon high temperatures topped out in the upper 80s to around 90 degrees and heat index values peaked in the middle to upper 90s. A one year-old child died of hyperthermia after being left unattended in a hot vehicle for several hours in Normal in McLean County.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Lincoln, IL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 24, 4:52 AM CST, 3 hours 8 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion...Updated Aviation National Weather Service Lincoln IL 552 AM CDT Sat Aug 24 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - A warming trend through the weekend will continue into early next week when temperatures peak well into the 90s Monday and Tuesday. Heat indices of 100-110 degrees are expected these days. - There is a 40-70 percent chance for showers and storms mainly west of I-55 tonight into Saturday morning. Some storms may be capable of producing locally heavy rain, especially near and west of the Illinois River. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 244 AM CDT Sat Aug 24 2024 This morning, high pressure is centered along the mid Atlantic Coast with ridging extending southwest into the lower Mississippi River Valley. Aloft, a blocky, amplified upper ridge is in place centered over the southern Great Plains. The center of the strong (nearly 600 dam at 500mb) upper ridge is progged to drift northeast across Missouri Sunday and over central Illinois Monday and Tuesday. As this occurs, 850mb temps of 25+C will over overspread portions of the Midwest. This will result in a warming trend through the weekend and into early next week. NBM probs for reaching and exceeding 90F increases to 40 percent Monday at Danville to 90+ percent west of I-55 and south of I-70. Probs further increase to 70-98 percent areawide Tuesday. Meanwhile, the warm temperatures combined with dew points climbing back into the 70s early next week will result in heat index values of 100-110 degrees Monday and Tuesday which may eventually necessitate heat headlines across the area. An upper low currently over the Pacific northwest is progged to dig across the Desert Southwest this weekend and eventually lift across the Upper Midwest and Ontario Tuesday into Wednesday. This strong wave will buckle the upper ridge and may shunt some of the heat southward, though not likely entirely out of the area. NBM probs for 90F Wednesday range from 40 percent along the I-74 corridor to 90 percent south of I-70. Another upper low moving into the Upper Midwest late in the week should reinforce a more seasonable air mass spreading south into central Illinois and finally shunting the heat well to our south. Backing up a bit and talking precip chances, still expect much of the upcoming week to be dry, but some nocturnal thunderstorms remain possible, especially this weekend. A low level jet is progged to develop this evening across the mid Missouri River Valley with storms developing over portions of Iowa late this evening and overnight. Storms are expected to track SE along the instability gradient with some southward propagation into the LLJ per Corfidi Vectors. There remains uncertainty in how far east storms will reach given the expected storm motions and the fact the the best instability remains well to our west. Some non-severe showers and storms could drift across portions of west central Illinois and the lower Illinois River Valley. Despite the low severe threat, slow storm motions and backbuilding could lead to some flooding concerns. HREF LPMM does indicate some potential for locally heavy rain showing several pockets of 2-5 inches of rainfall near and west of the Illinois River. Deubelbeiss && .AVIATION... (For the 12z TAFs through 12z Sunday Morning) Issued at 552 AM CDT Sat Aug 24 2024 Light southeast winds in place early this morning will veer to S/SSW mid to late this morning and increase into the 9-11kt range. Winds will back to the SSE and drop back below 10 kt around sunset. Scattered showers and storms are possible late this evening and overnight, mainly across portions of west central Illinois. Deubelbeiss && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Lincoln IL 515 AM CDT Sat Aug 24 2024 ILZ027>030-036-040-041-047-049-050-251015- Knox-Stark-Peoria-Marshall-Fulton-Schuyler-Mason-Cass-Scott-Morgan- 515 AM CDT Sat Aug 24 2024 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Illinois and west central Illinois. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. There is a level 1 of 5, marginal, risk for excessive rainfall from scattered thunderstorms late tonight into tomorrow morning. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. There is a level 1 of 5, marginal, risk for excessive rainfall from scattered thunderstorms Sunday morning. Heat and humidity will increase into early next work week. Heat indices are forecast to reach 105 to 112 Monday and Tuesday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated through tonight. ILZ031-037-038-042>046-048-051>057-061>063-066>068-071>073-251015- Woodford-Tazewell-McLean-Logan-De Witt-Piatt-Champaign-Vermilion- Menard-Sangamon-Christian-Macon-Moultrie-Douglas-Coles-Edgar-Shelby- Cumberland-Clark-Effingham-Jasper-Crawford-Clay-Richland-Lawrence- 515 AM CDT Sat Aug 24 2024 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Illinois, east central Illinois and southeast Illinois. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. Heat and humidity will increase into early next work week. Heat indices are forecast to reach 100 to 105 Monday and 105 to 110 Tuesday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated through tonight. Bumgardner
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 heat. Local standard time, as filed.
A one year-old child was left unattended in a hot car for several hours in Normal in McLean County. The McLean County coroner ruled the child's death occurred due to hyperthermia.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, August 2024
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1221351.