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Heat wave targets DC region: Could records be broken?

Mother Nature is turning up the heat across D.C., Maryland and Virginia, and it will feel like summer right through the weekend, with temperatures 12 to 18 degrees above normal. “Friday will be the first 90 degree day in the Baltimore and Washington Metropolitan Areas since last September,” the National Weather Service said. “Saturday is forecast to be the hottest day of the weekend, with many locations reaching the mid 90s and heat indices approaching 100. This level of heat will continue through Sunday.”



The temperatures will gradually get hotter over the coming days. While temperatures dipped as low as the upper 50s Thursday night, they could jolt as high as the lower 90s on Friday, with highs well into the 90s on Saturday. The National Weather Service forecasts high temperatures on Friday and Saturday to be 12 to 18 degrees above normal.

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So what are the record highs for the region? May 20

  • D.C. area — 96 degrees, set in 1996
  • Baltimore — 95 degrees, set in 1962
  • Dulles — 93 degrees, set in 1996

May 21

  • D.C. area — 95 degrees, set in 1934
  • Baltimore — 96 degrees, set in 1934
  • Dulles — 92 degrees, set in 1996

May 22

  • D.C. area — 96 degrees, set in 1941
  • Baltimore — 98 degrees, set in 1941
  • Dulles — 89 degrees, set in 2021

Storm4 meteorologist Mike Stinneford said the heat and humidity will continue into Sunday, before showers and thunderstorms develop ahead of a cold front. Monday should be “cooler, but unsettled,” Stinneford said.

Forecast

Friday: Partly cloudy and hot. Highs in the upper 80s to lower 90s. Saturday: Partly cloudy, hot and humid. Highs in the mid to upper 90s. Sunday: Partly cloudy and hot. Chance of afternoon and evening thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 80s to lower 90s. Monday: Showers, much cooler. Highs in the lower 70s.

Radar

Hot, humid week ahead for DC area with severe storm risk

A dangerous heat wave will grip the D.C. area through Thursday, with highs in the mid to upper 90s and heat index values between 100 and 105. Hot and humid conditions are expected through Thursday, according to the National Weather Service, which said to expect daily thunderstorm chances and a risk of severe thunderstorms. 7News Meteorologist Eileen Whelan told WTOP that most of Tuesday will stay dry, but a few late-day thunderstorms are possible, especially north and east of D.C. as storms drift south from Pennsylvania. Any storm could produce damaging wind gusts and hail, but Whelan reiterated "storm chances are low" on Tuesday. Due to a lack of air conditioning, Parkdale High School in Riverdale, Maryland, closed early at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Prince George's County Public Schools said in a social media post.
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