A taste of summer: Hot, humid Tuesday could reach mid-80s, forecasters say

A father juggles pushing a stroller and his two-year-old daughter at Montrose Harbor in 2013. | Al Podgorski/Chicago Sun-Times file

Tuesday will feel like a hot, humid day in June as strong southerly winds push through the Chicago area.

The high could reach into the mid-80s, just shy of the record for the date, 87 degrees set in 1986. The moist air from the southeast will also increase the humidity, according to the National Weather Service.

Winds could gust as strong as 35 mph, elevating the risk of brushfires, the weather service warned.

Summer temperatures are not common the last week in April, when it’s normally in the mid-60s, according to meteorologist Brian Leatherwood. “This happens maybe once every three years,” he said.

The warm-up began over the weekend and continued Monday, when the high was expected to be in the 70s. After hitting the 80s on Tuesday, the temperatures will dip back into the 70s on Wednesday with cloudy skies and showers likely.

Temperatures will drop into the 50s toward the end of the week, the weather service said.