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10:20 p.m.

Tuesday's highs of 97 around southeast Wisconsin was the warmest all year in Wisconsin -- making it the 9th day with highs in the 90s this year.

Seven of those came in June, one in May and now one in July.

Milwaukee's is at 87 degrees Tuesday evening, with overnight lows around 77 degrees.

Tuesday's heat will carry over into Wednesday monring with little relief, said Storm Team 4Caster John Malan. 

"(We are) stuck in the hot and humid," said Malan

He said the forecast calls for clear skies and nothing developing overnight, so it will be hot and uncomfortable going into Wednesday monring.

John Malan's latest Storm Team Forecast:

WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny, very hot, and very muggy
        High:  97...becoming cooler by the lake in afternoon
        Wind: SW 5-10 mph

WED NIGHT:    Partly cloudy and muggy with scattered storms
        Low:    74
        Wind:  Light

THURSDAY:    Partly cloudy, hot and humid with scattered afternoon or evening storms
        High:   96 Lakefront...101 Inland
        Becoming cooler at the lake in the afternoon

4:07 p.m.

Right now, Sheboygan, Racine and Kenosha are reporting over 100-degree heat indices during an extremely hot Tuesday.

"Sweaty is right," said Storm Team 4Caster Brian Gotter as temperatures are approaching 100 degrees, but haven't reach that point.  The warmest spots include: Kenosha, Port Washington, Watertown and West Bend hitting 97 degrees; Milwaukee, Racine and Whitewater are seeing 96 degrees.

Gotter said that a light breeze of 15-20 mph can be felt in southeast Wisconsin, but that isn't expected to last into the night.

Tuesday evening is expected to be hazy and humid with Milwaukee at 94 degrees around 7 p.m., 85 degrees and partly cloudy around 10 p.m. and then going down to 76 degrees around 7 a.m.. Wednesday.

11:49 a.m.
On a day where temperatures were initially expected to reach and possibly surpass 100 degrees in Milwaukee, a band of showers has cooled off both the area and the expectations of triple digits in Wisconsin's largest city.

"That's helped us keep the temperatures down," said Storm Team 4Caster Brian Gotter. 

Still, an excessive heat warning has gone into effect until 10:00 p.m. Friday night for Dodge, Jefferson and Walworth Counties.

"It means, essentially, heat illnesses are going to occur if you're going to be outside for even a moderate amount of time."

A heat advisory remains in effect for Milwaukee, Waukesha, Fond du Lac, Kenosha, Ozaukee, Racine, Sheboygan and Washington Counties until 10:00 p.m. Friday night.

"We're still going to get into the 90's today.  We're not going to get to the 100 degree mark this afternoon, but there is that humid and hot air mass sitting right over us...I think we'll hit around 96 for a high today."

Brian also thinks that any forecast for 100 degrees in the city and lakeshore counties could be premature.

"It is, especially away from the lake.  I still think there is some question for the forecasts for Wednesday and Thursday, where you're seeing these forecasts going up to 100 degrees, even at the lakefront.  The winds are expected to be light, so that would kick in a lake breeze in the afternoon, which would drop temperatures into the 80's along the lakefront."

But Brian warns that you could easily see 100-plus degree readings in the area's western, inland counties.

"The inland areas, from Waukesha westwards, are going to be hot with temperatures around 100 degrees, and they'll continue to be very humid."

The thing that Brian thinks could both cool off our area and help with the dangerously dry conditions?

"We need rain."

5:00 a.m.
The extreme heat is expected to bring the hottest weather Milwaukee has experienced in 2012, and weather forecasters have responded with warnings and advisories for all of southeastern Wisconsin.

"Something I haven't seen in as long as I can remember," said Storm Team 4Caster Scott Steele.

Heat illnesses are possible if you over-do it."

According to Scott, temperatures will top 90 degrees every day until Friday.

"With a warm front lifting to our north, a strong southwest wind will send our temperatures soaring even higher than yesterday," explained Scott. 

"Readings will reach near 100 degrees throughout the area, including lakeside.  Dew points will also continue their climb through the 60s to near 70 degrees leading to an oppressive combination of heat and humidity."

Scattered rain and storms Tuesday night will help mitigate one of the driest stretches we've had in a long time.

"To date, we are more than 3.1 inches below average for precipitation just since the beginning of June.  The dangerous heat and humidity will last through the rest of the week with the best chance of a few showers or storms coming tonight."