CHICAGO (STMW) – The death of eight more people in Chicago over the weekend have been attributed at least in part to heat-related causes, bringing the total of heat-related deaths in Cook County to 18, surpassing the total from last year.

Autopsies conducted on Sunday by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office listed heat stress as a factor in the latest deaths, which include:

Lucille Griffith, 100, of the 7300 block of South Peoria Street, was pronounced dead at Saint Bernard Hospital and Heath Center at 9:56 a.m. Saturday. An autopsy found she died of heart disease with heat stress as a contributing factor.

Irene Moriarty, 89, of the 7600 block of South 60th Place in Summit, was pronounced dead at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn at 1:02 p.m. Saturday. An autopsy found Moriarty died of heart disease with heat stress as a contributing factor.

Mary Williams, 56, of the 20 block of East 122nd Place, was pronounced dead at Roseland Community Hospital at 1:07 p.m. An autopsy Sunday found Williams died of heart disease, with obesity and heat stress contributing factors.

Sherry Garrett, 53, of the 1400 block of South Hamlin Avenue, was pronounced dead at her home at 4:28 p.m. Saturday. An autopsy found she died of heart disease, with diabetes, heat stress and obesity as contributing factors, according to the medical examiner.

Ann Narcisse, 79, of the 9200 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue, was pronounced dead at the Stein Institute at 7:50 p.m. Saturday. An autopsy found she died of heart disease with heat stress as a contributing factor.

John Stacey, 81, of the 1800 block of Cuyler Avenue in Berwyn, was pronounced dead at his home at 5:46 p.m. Saturday. Stacey died of heart disease with obesity and heat stress as contributing factors, according to an autopsy.

Levon Calhoun, 55, of the 8100 block of South Saginaw Avenue, was pronounced dead at the Stein Institute at 12:15 a.m. Sunday. Calhoun died of heart disease, with obesity and heat stress as contributing factors, according to an autopsy.

Anthony Thomas, 48, of the 9200 block of South Blackstone Avenue, was pronounced dead at the Stein Institute Friday at 11:40 p.m. An autopsy showed Thomas died of heart disease with heat stress as a contributing factor.

Heat had already been ruled a factor in the deaths of 10 throughout Cook County, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Pamela Dairyco, 65, of the 4900 block of West Fullerton Avenue, was pronounced dead at her home at 8:04 a.m. Friday. An autopsy Saturday found that she died of heart disease, with contributing factors listed as chronic drug use and heat stress.

Police went to the home of 53-year-old Mark Locerquist, of the 1500 block of North Pulaski Road, at 11:45 a.m. Friday for a well-being check, and fire crews respponded about a minute later, according to police News Affairs. He was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 1:24 p.m. An autopsy Saturday found that he died of heart disease and heat stress.

An unidentified man, believed to be in his 30s, was found unresponsive Friday at 2 S. Cicero Ave. about 7:53 p.m. Friday, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He was pronounced at Loretto Hospital at 9 p.m. Friday. His body had a core temperature of 106 degrees, according to the medical examiner’s office. An autopsy Saturday found that he died of heat stroke.

Linda Figgures, 46, was found unresponsive at her home in the 6600 block of South Damen Avenue about 11:45 a.m. Friday after police went there for a well-being check, the medical examiner’s office and police said. She was taken to Holy Cross Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 11:57 p.m. An autopsy Saturday found that she died of heat stroke, with obesity a contributing factor, the medical examiner’s office said.

Carmen Mercado, 81, of the 2000 block of West Superior Street, was found dead in her bedroom Thursday, according to the medical examiner’s office. An autopsy Friday determined she died of heart disease and heat stress, according to the medical examiner’s office, which noted that there was no air conditioning in the room she was discovered in.

Riley Kimble, 59, of the 1800 block of West Jackson Boulevard, was pronounced dead at 3:35 p.m. Thursday. An autopsy Friday found that he died of heart disease, with heat stress a contributing factor.

Another elderly woman, 91-year-old Pat Wong, also died in part because of heat stress, the medical examiner’s office said. Wong, of 4200 block of North Winchester Avenue, was pronounced dead at her home at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. An autopsy Friday found she died of heart disease, with diabetes and heat stress contributing factors.

Frank Proczek, 58, of 5000 block of South Western Avenue, was pronounced dead at the University of Chicago Medical Center at 8:10 p.m. Thursday. An autopsy Friday found that he died of heart disease, with chronic alcoholism and heat stress as contributing factors.

On Thursday, autopsies confirmed the first two heat-related deaths of the season in Cook County, 53-year-old Eugene Burns of Maywood and 48-year-old Jon McCullough, of the North Side Ravenswood neighborhood.

The high temperature in Chicago on both Thursday and Friday was 103 degrees. Wednesday’s high was 102 degrees.

There were 16 heat-related deaths in Cook County in 2011.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2012. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)