“Extremely hot and humid conditions will continue in the region from Saturday into Sunday,” the Meteorological Agency warned, warning that “dangerously hot conditions” are expected and there will be a “significant increase in heatstroke cases.”
The heat is already on the rise on Friday, with highs expected to reach the mid-90s and a heat index that takes humidity into account approaching 100 degrees.
Temperatures on Saturday and Sunday are expected to soar near 100 degrees, with heat index increases of 5 to 10 degrees. Overnight temperatures are expected to fall into the mid-70s to near 80 degrees Fahrenheit, making hopes of significant relief slim.
If the city reaches 100 cases, it will be the first time since August 2016. The district currently has the fifth-longest streak on record without reaching 100 cases.
Even if temperatures don’t reach 100 degrees this weekend, the ongoing heat wave is one of the longest in recent years and has come on unusually early for summer.
The Met Office’s heatstroke risk forecast is on a scale of zero to four and is due to rise from level two on Friday to level four by Sunday. The heatstroke risk scale takes into account whether the heat is unusually long-lasting and the expected threat to human health.
“Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, avoid the sun and check on relatives and neighbours,” the weather service advises. “Do not leave young children or pets in cars, which can reach lethal temperatures within minutes.”
Friday It will be the hottest day so far this year with highs in the low to mid 90s F. It will be the fifth consecutive day with temperatures above 90 degrees and the eighth day this year.
Temperatures are likely to rise further SaturdayTemperatures in the area are currently expected to reach 100 degrees, but may fall just short. Most of the rest of the region is expected to reach the upper 90s, with temperatures a little cooler near the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. Afternoon heat indexes will reach at least 105 degrees.
Sunday Saturday and Sunday are always expected to be the hottest of the night. Like Saturday, Sunday is also expected to see high temperatures in the upper 90s to near 100 degrees, with a heat index of at least 105.
High temperatures on Friday are not expected to exceed the mid-90s Fahrenheit, just shy of records in most locations.
The odds of breaking records will increase on Saturday, but many places could again fall just short, as all existing scores are near or above 100. Dulles University has a projected score of 99 and a record of 99. At District, the projected score is 99 and the record is 101.
Sunday looks like the most likely day for multiple records to be broken across the local area, with Washington, Dulles and Baltimore all expected to break records with highs in the upper 90s or around 100 degrees.
At least 100 new low temperature records are at risk across the eastern U.S. on Sunday, but temperatures in Washington, D.C., are currently expected to drop to just 81 degrees, beating the previous calendar day record by three degrees and making it the warmest low temperature on record so far this year.
It’s going to get even hotter after the weekend
Temperatures are expected to cool slightly early next week, but a cold front will arrive on Wednesday, keeping temperatures in the low 90s Fahrenheit before warming up into the upper 90s Fahrenheit.
A cold front is likely to break the string of 90-degree temperatures by Thursday.
The Meteorological Service’s just-released July forecast predicts even more extreme heat for the Mid-Atlantic region.
