Countywide

D.C. area faces Heat Advisory, air quality issues on Wednesday

By Angela Woolsey
Sun glare (staff photo by James Jarvis)

This summer is closing out with one final heat wave that’s expected to peak in the D.C. area tomorrow (Wednesday).

The National Weather Service has issued a Heat Advisory that’s scheduled to take effect from 1-7 p.m. tomorrow. On top of that, the air quality is expected to enter Code Orange territory for a second straight day, meaning it’ll be unhealthy for people with lung and heart disease, outdoor workers and other sensitive groups to spend time outside.

As of press time, the NWS is forecasting a high temperature of 99 degrees, with humidity potentially sending the heat index up to 109 degrees.

If D.C. hits 100 degrees tomorrow, it’ll be a record for the date (Aug. 28) and make 2024 only the fourth year since 1872 that the city has recorded triple-digit temperatures in June, July and August, according to the Capital Weather Gang. It has already been one of the warmest summers on record for the region.

Fairfax County has activated its heat plan for tomorrow, designating libraries, community centers and other facilities as cooling centers where water bottles, sunscreen and other supplies will be available.

The full Heat Advisory is below.

…HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM TO 7 PM EDT WEDNESDAY…

* WHAT…Heat index values of 105 to 109 degrees expected.

* WHERE…Portions of DC, central, north central, northeast, and northern Maryland, and northern and northwest Virginia.

* WHEN…From 1 PM to 7 PM EDT Wednesday.

* IMPACTS…Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.

Though a Code Orange air quality alert was issued for today, the Air Quality Index (AQI) is just barely in the yellow or moderate range for Fairfax right now. Another Code Orange is in the forecast for tomorrow, when the area is expected to reach 112 on the AQI, thanks to high ozone levels.

“A Code Orange Air Quality Alert means that air pollution concentrations within the region may become unhealthy for sensitive groups,” the NWS says. “Sensitive groups include children, people suffering from asthma, heart disease or other lung diseases and the elderly. The effects of air pollution can be minimized by avoiding strenuous activity or exercise outdoors.”

About the Author

  • Angela Woolsey is the site editor for FFXnow. A graduate of George Mason University, she worked as a general assignment reporter for the Fairfax County Times before joining Local News Now as the Tysons Reporter editor in 2020.