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A red flag warning has been issued in parts of Chicago—here is what that means

Beware: Given the unseasonably high temperatures, Chicago is at a high fire risk.

Anna Rahmanan
Written by
Anna Rahmanan
Senior National News Editor
the bean in chicago
Photograph: David S Swierczek / Shutterstock
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Chicagoans, brace yourselves for some pretty odd weather patterns.

Today, temperatures, about 20 degrees above average, reaching the low and mid 80s, may make history news.

As exciting as a warm day out sounds, the gusty winds that we're dealing with combined with said heat may lead to fire risks—which is why officials have put out a red flag warning. The latter is a forecast note issued by the National Weather Service that informs all about potential for "wildland fire combustion and rapid spread." That sounds terrifying indeed.

"A red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly," the National Weather Service said in an official statement. "A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior."

Earlier this morning, the winds were blowing around 30 miles per hour in some areas and that number has just gone up since then. 

The red glad warning will remain in effect until 9pm tonight for portions of the area, so you might want to stay inside until then.

But we're not done: lest you think you'll be able to enjoy a not-cold Halloween, think again. Temperatures are expected to drop about 15 degrees by Thursday. To be honest, we're not that unhappy about it all: It will still be relatively mild that night and a nice Chicago breeze to cool us off from our sweaty costumes is just what we need.

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