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Heat Record Broken 2nd Day In A Row

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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- For the second straight day, temperatures in the Twin Cities reached record-breaking levels.

By early afternoon Tuesday, temperatures had reached the 96-degree mark in Minneapolis, toppling 2004's record for this day.

But that wasn't the end of it. WCCO Chief Meteorologist Chris Shaffer said the day's high ended up being 103 degrees -- something that hasn't happened in Minnesota since 1988.

Shaffer said wind gusts reached near 40 mph too, pushing a blast of heat across the Twin Cities, which was the hottest of the hot.

The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory, which means that the combination between heat and humidity are enough to be considered dangerous. Experts warn to drink plenty of fluids, even before you are outside. They say don't wait until you are thirsty to have that first sip.

If you can, stay inside and out of the sun. It is best to be in an air-conditioned room or in the shade, if you have to be outside. Also, if you have relatives or older neighbors check up on them to see how they're doing. Often elderly are the most vulnerable to heat illness.

Many schools in the Twin Cities don't have air conditioning. The Minneapolis, St. Paul and Anoka-Hennepin school districts are trying different things to handle the heat.

Teachers are giving students lots of water breaks and keeping physical activity to a minimum and in some cases canceling recess. In Minneapolis, spokesperson Rachel Hicks said some teachers are taking their students outside to have class in the shade because it's cooler than in the classroom.

At Dowling Urban Environmental School, some parts of the school have AC and some don't, like the gym. Students had a shortened and low key P.E. class and were also allowed to bring water bottles to their classrooms to help stay hydrated.

In the Anoka Hennepin School District, some parents kept their kids home to keep them out of the heat.

WCCO-TV's Holly Wagner Reports

On Monday, there were eight people that had to go to the hospital because of the heat illness.

The temperatures also did a number on some sections of roadway. An area near Interstate 94 and the Lowry Ramp buckled under the heat. Crews had to shut down traffic to one lane while they made repairs.

Highway 100 in St. Louis Park also buckled and the middle lane was closed while it was fixed.

Monday's high temperature was a record breaker reaching 97 degrees. The old record on that day was 95 degrees reached back in 1987. Before that, the last time we reached 97 degrees in the Twin Cities was May 2009.

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