Sunday brought hail to parts of the D.C. area as well as hazy skies due to some smoke from July 4 fireworks still in the atmosphere
Heat and humidity continued to dominate the Sunday forecast, with the heat index reaching 100 degrees in D.C. and Leesburg and hitting the mid to upper 90s in most of the region. Isolated storms hit much of the region in the afternoon, leading the National Weather Service to issue a number of Severe Thunderstorm Warnings.
Storms brought quarter-sized hail and 60 mph wind gusts to D.C., Arlington, parts of Fairfax County, Virginia, and parts of Montgomery County in Maryland. A Severe Thunderstorm warning went into effect for the D.C. metro area just after 5 p.m., and a separate warning for storms of a similar nature went for the area of Manassas and Gainseville in Virginia at the same time.
Severe Thunderstorm Warning including Washington DC, Arlington VA, Bethesda MD until 6:00 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/8OgodqQEPy
— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) July 5, 2020
Welcome to SUMMER! Largest hailstones in my part of south Reston are about nickel size (0.88”) and just sub-severe #vawx pic.twitter.com/wtwm3wmlIE
— Dave Dildine (@DildineWTOP) July 5, 2020
Central Anne Arundel County and parts of Prince George’s County in Maryland were also tagged with hail similar to that experienced in Prince William County in Virginia, Storm Team 4’s Briana Bermensolo reported.
The storms strengthened earlier in the afternoon in the area of Dale City and Quantico in Virginia. A Severe Thunderstorm Warning for that area went into effect just after 4:30 p.m.
Sunday still saw plenty of sunshine earlier in the day throughout the region, with temperatures staying in the low 90s, beginning nearly a full week of sunny, hot and dry weather.
Heat indexes will be high again today, with readings near 100 in much of the area. Spotty thunderstorms are also expected to develop in the next few hours. Stay hydrated and watch for storms if out and about today. pic.twitter.com/Hmhg0S8Rzx
— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) July 5, 2020
Fourth of July fireworks went off without a hitch Saturday night, as scattered storms Saturday afternoon cleared out of the region before sunset.
Forecast
Sunday: Mostly sunny, hot and humid with isolated afternoon storms. Highs in the lower 90s.
Monday: Mostly sunny and hot, with isolated afternoon storms. Highs in the low to middle 90s.
Tuesday: Hot and humid, with a few afternoon storms. Highs in the lower 90s.
Wednesday: Continued hot and humid weather, with a few afternoon storms. Highs in the lower 90s.
