Another round of sweltering heat smacks the DC area

A heat wave arrived Wednesday in the D.C. region, with highs around 102 and sticky humidity.

“When you factor in the humidity, which is very high, we’ve got feels-like temperatures, the heat index values, anywhere from 102 to 105 degrees,” said 7News First Alert Meteorologist Mark Pe帽a.

That summer heat is expected to hold through the evening and temperatures are back near 100 Thursday and Friday.

The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for the D.C. area until 8 p.m. Wednesday as heat index values could be 105 to 109 degrees.

According to the weather service, heat index values hit 106 at Reagan National Airport on Wednesday afternoon.

There is also a code orange air quality alert in effect Wednesday and Thursday for ground level ozone with some wildfire smoke in the upper levels of the atmosphere, according to 7News First Alert Meteorologist Eileen Whelan.

“That big ridge of high pressure that’s bringing us the heat is also transporting some of that wildfire smoke to the upper levels of the atmosphere, so creating kind of that milky-looking sky,” Whelan said.

Temperatures are expected to fall into the 80s Wednesday evening and into the mid 70s overnight.

“We’re going to do it all over again on your Thursday, temperatures back in the lower 100s, with feels-like temperatures again anywhere from 102 to 105,” Pe帽a said.

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.

DC region responses to the heat

As a result of the extremely hot weather, local officials are responding with caution.

In the District, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the city will be under an extreme heat alert starting Wednesday through Saturday. It’s recommended to avoid arduous activity outdoors from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In Virginia, Fairfax County Public Schools is canceling all outdoor activities, such as recess and extracurricular activities from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday.

To stay safe during the heat, it’s strongly recommended that you drink a lot of water to keep yourself hydrated, wear light clothing and stay indoors as much as possible.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends drinking 8 ounces of water every 15 to 20 minutes, which is about a quart every hour.

杏吧原创 has a list of all the cooling centers in the D.C. region.

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Forecast

WEDNESDAY EVENING: Hazy, hot and humid
Temperatures: 90s to 80s
Winds: West 5-10 mph

OVERNIGHT: Hazy and muggy
Lows: 75-82
Winds: Light

THURSDAY: WEATHER ALERT
Partly cloudy and very hot with isolated afternoon storm chance
Highs: 97-101
Winds: West 5-10 mph

FRIDAY: Partly cloudy and hot
Highs: 95-99
Winds: Northwest 5-10 mph

SATURDAY: Storms possible
Highs: 90-95
Winds: Southeast 5-10 mph

SUNDAY: Scattered showers and storms
Highs: 88-93
Winds: West 5-10 mph

Current Conditions

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