Scorcher: Thursday will be hottest day in nearly 7 years.

Thursday is shaping up to be the hottest day in nearly seven years, with highs of 100 degrees or more that could set a new record.

The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for all of Northern Illinois and Northwest Indiana for Thursday, saying high temperatures of 100 to 105 expected in the area, with upper 90s expected right along the lakefront.

If you have to talk about the weather, the National Weather Service has compiled some appropriate trivia:

• Chicago has had 61 days with a temperature of 100 or greater in 140 years of records, or once every 2.3 years.

• The all-time record at an official Chicago observatory is 105 set on July 24, 1934 at University of Chicago. (109 was recorded at Midway on July 23, 1934. That is the highest temperature ever recorded at any Chicago location, but Midway was not the official Chicago observatory at that time.)

• The all-time June record for Chicago is 104 on June 20, 1988 (at O’Hare) and June 20, 1953 (at Midway.)

• The most 100-degree days in a year is 1988 with seven.

• The most consecutive 100-degree days is three: July 3-5, 1911 and Aug 4-6, 1947.

• The earliest 100-degree day was 102 on June 1, 1934.

• The latest 100-degree day was 100 on Sept. 7, 1939 and 1960.