WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — The first heat wave of the season has officially arrived in the DMV, and it’s not just rising temperatures, it’s a potential health hazard, with temperatures reaching the 90s every day this week and heat indexes reaching triple digits.
Public pools will be closed through Saturday, and D.C. will open 128 cooling centers through Friday to ensure safety.
A heat wave is defined as three consecutive days of daytime high temperatures reaching the 90s Fahrenheit. As of now, the DC News Now weather team is predicting two consecutive days of heat waves this week, and seven consecutive days in the 90s Fahrenheit. This would be the first such heat wave in nearly two years, since July 18-July 25, 2022, when eight consecutive days of temperatures in the 90s Fahrenheit were recorded.
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The last time temperatures in Washington DC topped 100 degrees was eight years ago, on Aug. 15, 2016. The last time we saw triple-digit heat in June was in 2012, nearly 12 years ago.
On average, June is the third hottest month, with July and August being the hottest. There will be several days this week with heat indexes in the 100 to 105 degree range in the region. This is all due to high pressure that continues to meander through the southeastern U.S., causing southerly winds to move northward across the entire East Coast.
The peak of the heat is expected to hit the DMV on Friday and Saturday, triggering watches and warnings, so stay tuned to the DC News Now Weather team’s forecast.
