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.

“With the humidity, feels-like temperatures will near 105 both today and tomorrow,” 7News First Alert Meteorologist Eileen Whelan said.

The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for the D.C. area from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday as heat index values will be 105 to 109 degrees.

There is also a code orange air quality alert in effect for ground level ozone with some wildfire smoke in the upper levels of the atmosphere, according to 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,” she said.

Overnight temperatures won’t provide much relief.

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.

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 that 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 cancelling 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 not drinking more than 1 and a half quarts each hour.

海角精品黑料 has a list of all the cooling centers in the D.C. region.

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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.