(Bloomberg) -- Chicago and the Midwest will swelter under the warmest days of summer as forecasters warn people to limit their outdoor activities.

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Temperatures in the Windy City are forecast to reach 96F (36C) on Monday and 98F on Tuesday, but with humidity it will feel like triple-digit heat, the National Weather Service said. The searing weather will be short lived, with the highs dropping back into the 80s by Wednesday. Chicago has opened more than 250 cooling centers around the city.

In addition to the heat, there is an enhanced risk of severe thunderstorms, which can bring hail and tornadoes, across parts of South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa, affecting about 5.7 million people, the US Storm Prediction Center said.

People won’t be as acclimated to the heat and humidity as they would be in a normal August because there has been a lack of such events in recent weeks, the weather service said. High temperatures will pressure electric grids and bring health risks. In July 1995, more than 700 people died during a five-day heat wave across the Chicago region, according to weather service records.

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