DC area hit with weather alert as highs could top 100

Sweltering heat is making its return to the D.C. region Wednesday with highs expected to tick above 100.

Wednesday is slated to be the hottest day this week, kicking off a heat wave that could last until the weekend.

“Our average for this time of year stands at 90 degrees. We’ll be around 98 to 103 with heat index values around 105,” said 7News First Alert Meteorologist Steve Rudin.

The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for the D.C. area from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday.

The high heat and humidity could be dangerous, and the weather service encouraged people to stay hydrated, find a place to stay cool and check on others.

Rudin also said smoke from Canadian wildfires could make for a “milky-looking sky and deteriorating air quality.”

Temperatures could flirt with records at area airports, the record highs of 102 at Reagan National is 102 and 99 at Dulles, according to Rudin.

Overnight temperatures won’t provide much relief.

“Wednesday night mainly clear and muggy, 75 to 82 degrees,” Rudin said. “I don’t think temperatures will drop below 80 inside the Beltway.”

Highs will once again be around 100 on Thursday.

Friday will be hot and humid, but not as extreme as the prior days. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid to upper 90s.

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Forecast

WEDNESDAY
Mostly sunny, very hot
Highs: 97-102
Winds: West 5-10 mph

WEDNESDAY NIGHT
Mainly clear, muggy
Lows: 75-82
Winds: West 2-5 mph
Mostly clear, dry and very warm. Temperatures will fall through the 90s during the evening, then settle into the upper 70s to around 80 by daybreak Thursday.

THURSDAY
Partly cloudy, very hot; isolated PM storm
Highs: 97-101
Winds: West 5-10 mph
Another dangerously hot afternoon, with highs close to 100 degrees and heat index values between 103 and 106. Most of the day will remain dry, although an isolated late-day storm cannot be completely ruled out. More haze is expected from wildfire smoke thanks to strong upper level winds transporting smoke from the fires in Ontario.

FRIDAY
Partly cloudy, hot
Highs: 95-99
Winds: Northwest 5-10 mph
Still hot, but not quite as extreme, with afternoon temperatures in the middle 90s. Much of the day should remain dry, although a stray shower or storm may pop up late. Confidence begins to drop heading into the weekend, so temperatures and storm chances may need some fine-tuning.

SATURDAY
Storms possible
Highs: 90-95
Winds: Southeast 5-10 mph
Warm and increasingly humid, with highs in the lower to middle 90s. Clouds will build and showers and thunderstorms should become more numerous during the afternoon and evening. Any storm that develops could become strong, with damaging wind and hail possible.

SUNDAY:
Scattered showers and storms
Highs: 88-93
Winds: West 5-10 mph
Muggy and unsettled, with highs in the upper 80s to around 90. There will be dry stretches, but additional showers and thunderstorms are possible, especially later in the day. Some storms could once again become strong, although the exact timing remains uncertain.