Mother Nature is cranking up the heat across the nation and it’s dangerous.
7News First Alert Chief Meteorologist Veronica Johnson said an intense heat wave is expected to last potentially into Sunday. The National 麻豆官网 Service issued a heat advisory for the entire D.C. region starting Wednesday at 11 a.m. until 8 p.m.
“This heat wave will be intense and will last for days,” she said. “Heat advisories have been issued, so make sure you’re drinking plenty of water, even when you’re not thirsty.”
Johnson said temperatures could reach 101 Thursday, 103 Friday, 102 on the Fourth of July听and 94 degrees is the expected high Sunday.听
“That heat index on the Fourth of July itself, somewhere between 100 and 107 degrees, even at 10 p.m., it could feel like 95 to 100,” Johnson said.
While most of the D.C. area will remain dry, there is a possibility of an isolated late-day storm . If one develops, it could produce damaging wind gusts. Temperatures will drop into the 70s into the suburbs but remain in the 80s in the city with warm and humid conditions.
Thursday is shaping up to be “one of the hottest days the D.C. area has experienced in years,” 7News First Alert Meteorologist Eileen Whelan said with the high humidity driving heat index values as high as 112. An extreme heat watch is in effect for most of the region through Friday with the possibility of record-breaking temperatures.
“Little relief arrives after sunset, with temperatures holding in the 80s well into the evening, adding additional stress to anyone without adequate cooling,” Whelan said.
Across the country
The National 麻豆官网 Service was blunt: Conditions were 鈥渄angerous鈥� as the heat index, a combination of air temperature and humidity, exceeded 100 degrees in some areas. It warned about a risk for heat-related illnesses, especially among people without air conditioning.
Detroit鈥檚 air temperature was in the high 90s, the weather service said, and could even reach 100 at some point through Thursday. The city said a dozen recreation centers were open, some until 11 p.m., for people to cool off. Big chunks of Michigan, as well as Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and much of Iowa, were under an extreme heat warning.
The Northeast, including New York City and Boston, will next feel major heat through the Fourth of July holiday. Norristown, Pennsylvania, 20 miles from Philadelphia, canceled a Saturday parade because of the weather.
Philadelphia declared a heat emergency Wednesday through Saturday, and said 50 cooling centers will operate with extended hours. The city said visitors will find misting tents, water refill stations and medical stations at the free World Cup fan festival at East Fairmount Park.
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How to stay safe
With this kind of miserable heat expected to blister the D.C. area for days, it’s important to keep yourself and your loved ones (and your pets, of course) safe.
Dr. Sharon Swencki, an emergency physician with MedStar Baltimore, said they tend to see the most patients during the daylight hours.
“People who are working outside with very physical jobs, people who are more prone to heat illness, elderly people with chronic illness, people on some medications,” Swencki said.
“People oftentimes present with some sort of early heat illness 鈥� things like nausea, muscle cramping, those are very common, especially in people who are working outside in the heat.”
There are warning signs to be on the watch for.
“It听usually starts as sort of heat exhaustion, which again is just sort of that heavy sweating, feeling faint, dizzy, fatigued, maybe having a low blood pressure, feeling weak when you stand up, heart rate might be a little bit high, you might start to see muscle cramping, nausea, headache,” Swencki said.
“The problem that we see is when people are not removed from the heat, then that can actually progress to heat stroke.”
And then with heat stroke, you might actually start to see seizures, people might not be responding or there responses are strange.
“They are acting confused, they’re not answering questions right, they’re a little bit slow to answer questions, and then in very severe cases might start to have seizures,” Swencki said.
She said prevention is key. And the best way to do that is to limit your exposure.
“If you are outside, try听to be in the shade. Dress听appropriately, dress听your baby appropriately. A baby, even if they’re an infant, if you’re hot, they’re going to be hot too, so they don’t need to be in their flannel pajamas with the onesie underneath,” Swencki听said.
“People just need to stay vigilant, listen to the newscasters when they’re telling you to stay out of the heat, alerting your neighbors, checking on your vulnerable family members听or your vulnerable neighbors, and make sure they get听to a cooling center.”
7News First Alert Forecast
WEDNESDAY
HEAT ADVISORY
Sunny, very hot
Highs: 95-100
Heat Index: 102-107
Winds: Southwest 5-10 mph
WEDNESDAY NIGHT
Mainly clear
Lows: 75-80
Winds: Southwest 5-10 mph
THURSDAY
EXTREME HEAT WATCH
Sunny, dangerous heat
Highs: 100-105
Heat Index: 107-112
Winds: Southwest 5-10 mph
FRIDAY
EXTREME HEAT WATCH
Mostly sunny, dangerous heat
Scattered PM storms possible
Highs: 100-106
Winds: West 5-10 mph
SATURDAY
Extreme heat; Thunderstorm risk
Highs: Around 100
Winds: West 5-10 mph
Current Conditions
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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