The Nation - News from July 31, 1988

Most of the nation braced itself for more heat despite rain that drenched parts of the Midwest. “As a general rule, the morning thunderstorms produced more noise than rain,” National Weather Service official Harry Gordon said. Temperatures soared in Appalachia and the northern half of the Atlantic Coast. Showers and thunderstorms surged through lower Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and eastern Kansas, but not enough to repair the damage by the most severe drought in 50 years. Several East Coast cities endured record-breaking heat. Baltimore hit 102, shattering a 1933 record of 98, while Philadelphia tied its 1954 record of 98. Nearly an inch of rain fell in the Chicago area but by dawn the sun was shining and temperatures throughout Illinois were headed for the 90s. In a 30-day forecast issued for August, the weather service predicted unusually hot weather from the northern plains to the mid-Atlantic coast, while the southern plains could expect a cooling trend.