A week of extreme heat is followed up by a weekend of on-and-off showers around the District. Part of the D.C. region faced severe weather this Friday evening, with flash floods and the two inch hail in some areas. Here’s what you need to know.
The entire D.C. region was under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 11 p.m. from the National Weather Service. There were numerous showers and thunderstorms in northern Virginia and for short periods in Maryland. Some were severe, with damaging winds at 60 mph and hail of varying sizes.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for most of the area through 11 PM this evening. Main hazards for these storms will be heavy rain, damaging winds and large hail. Visit https://t.co/5RyZgpfrqr for the latest. #VAwx #WVwx #MDwx #DCwx pic.twitter.com/WBly34qcOi
— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) September 8, 2023
7News First Alert Meteorologist Veronica Johnson said around 7:40 p.m. that storms were starting to settle but heavy rain was still coming down in Prince William and Loudoun counties, which both had flood warnings issued by the weather service.
“Flash flooding is occurring right now,” Johnson had said. “Lots of heavy rain just north of I-66.”
Some roadways also flooded, complicating residents’ Friday night commute.
Unsettled weather is expected to stick around the rest of the weekend, too.
7News First Alert Meteorologist Brian van de Graaff said while the weekend will be humid, it won’t be as hot.
Saturday’s temperatures will be in the upper 80s, but “will feel around 90 degrees,” van de Graaff said. Temperatures will be in the mid-80s on Sunday with a chance of rain and storms.
Current weather
Thursday marked the fifth day of a historic September heat wave, but highs around the area were a degree or two lower than the sizzling days earlier this week, said 7News First Alert meteorologist Eileen Whelan.
Daily record highs were broken at all three D.C.-area airports on Wednesday.
Dulles International Airport reached 100 degrees — the first time ever in the month of September that it has reached triple digits since the National Weather Service started recording temperatures at the airport back in the 1960s.
Temperatures at BWI Marshall and Reagan National airports broke the daily record with a tie at 98 degrees.
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Forecast
FRIDAY EVENING
Thunderstorms that might be severe until 11 p.m.
Temps: 80-85
Winds: South 5-10 mph
FRIDAY NIGHT
Chance Rain, Storms
Patchy Fog Possible
Lows: 65-74
Winds: Light & Variable
SATURDAY
Mostly Cloudy, Humid
Chance PM Rain, Storms
Highs: 85-88
Winds: Southeast 5-10 mph
SUNDAY
Mostly Cloudy, Humid
Rain and Storms
Highs: 80-85
Winds: Southeast 5-10 mph
WTOP’s Ciara Wells contributed to this report.
