On top of the relentless, scorching heat, poor air quality and a threat of storms were present Wednesday in the D.C. area. Here’s what you need to know.
Wednesday continues the steamy weather trend, even past nightfall — when temperatures only dipped into the 70s.
That’s downright chilly in comparison to daytime highs, which reached the upper 90s.
The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for D.C., northern Maryland and northern and northwest Virginia from 1 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday. Feels-like temperatures reached as high as 109 degrees.
Wednesday’s temperatures broke the record of the last hottest day at Reagan National Airport at 99 degrees in 1948 with a 100-degree reading. The record at Dulles Airport is 98, set in 1993, was also broken with a 99-degree reading around 4 p.m.
That means this is the sixth time so far this year that the D.C. area has seen a 100-degree reading on its forecast.
People are recommended to stay hydrated and stay out of the sun when possible, the NWS said.
Storm chance
Wednesday was dry, with a mix of clouds and sun — but scattered evening thunderstorms hit parts of the D.C. are, some of which were strong to severe with heavy gusts and a chance of small hail.
“It’s just brutally hot out there. But thankfully, this is just a one day thing. We’re looking at a cold front, basically on our doorstep at this point,” said 7News First Alert Meteorologist Mark Pena.
A Code Orange air quality alert was also in effect for suburban D.C. on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.
That means the air could be unhealthy for sensitive groups, including people with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and teens, minority populations and outdoor workers.
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FORECAST
WEDNESDAY:
HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 7PM
Partly cloudy
Evening Storm Chance
Highs: 95-100
Heat Index: 100-108+
Winds: Southwest 5-10 mph
The heat peaks today with high temperatures close to 100 degrees and the heat index as high as 108 degrees. The National Weather Service has posted a heat advisory for parts of the DMV beginning at 1 p.m. and ending at 7 p.m. Record-high temperatures are also possible. The record at DCA is 99 set back in 1948 and the record at Dulles is 98 from 1993.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT:
STORM ALERT
Risk of Rain and Storms
Lows: 72-78
Winds: Light & Variable
Storm chances increase tonight, as a weather front approaches. Any storms that develop could become strong to severe. The Storm Prediction Center has areas along and north of I-66 and Route 50 under the Level 2 out of 5 Slight risk category for damaging winds and hail threat.
THURSDAY:
Partly Sunny
Isolated Showers, Storms
Highs: 85-90
Winds: East 5-15 mph
It won’t be quite as hot behind Wednesday night’s front with afternoon highs in the upper 80s. It will still be very humid, so feels-like temperatures will peak over 90 degrees tomorrow afternoon. Isolated showers and storms are possible with a weather boundary off to our south. Rain chances are on the low end, so not everyone will get rain.
FRIDAY:
Mostly Cloudy
Stray Showers
Highs: 75-80
Winds: Southeast 5-10 mph
Clouds will win over sun for the day along with a chance for a few showers. Overall, temperatures will be much cooler compared to midweek with highs ranging from the middle 70s to around 80 degrees.
CURRENT CONDITIONS
WTOP’s Ciara Wells and Will Vitka contributed to this report.
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