Thursday was a hazy, dizzy stunner of a hot day in the Washington area, where the high temperature flirted with 100 degrees and felt like 112. And Friday is expected to be much worse, tying a 103-degree record for July 22 set in 1926. Blanket on the humidity, and it will feel like 115 degrees. Saturday doesn’t look much better.
The average temperatures for this week are usually in the upper 80s, according to the National Weather Service’s Baltimore/Washington bureau. And while the high on Thursday hit “only” 99, it felt unbearable to many brave enough to step outside.
| Scorching days: Not just sweaty, but dangerous | ||
| Watch yourself and others for signs of heat-borne illnesses. | ||
| Illness | Symptoms | |
| Heat cramps | Painful muscle spasms, usually involving the abdominal muscles or legs | |
| Heat exhaustion | Cool, moist, pale or flushed skin, dizziness, nausea, headache, and weakness | |
| Heat stroke | Red, hot, dry skin, weak pulse, rapid breathing and changes in consciousness. Call 911. | |
| Source: Montgomery County Department of Health | ||
“I’ve got three words for you: Hot, hot, hot,” said Pete Piringer, D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services spokesman.
A firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion as he put out a fire at the Watergate complex on Wednesday night, while ambulances blared across town responding to calls of heat exhaustion, heat cramps, even heat stroke.
On Thursday, noon church bells over Franklin Square mingled with a fire alarm.
The radio played “The Heat Is on,” “Cruel Summer” and “Some Like it Hot.”
Instead of “Talk later” or “Take care,” phone calls from air-conditioned cubicles ended with “Stay cool.”
“It’s terrible. I get to work, I’m sweating. I need a second shower,” said Ameeta Chopra after walking to her downtown office from Dupont Circle.
Chopra is moving Saturday — which has an expected high of 101 degrees — and says she is, of course, dreading it.
The District’s government enacted a “multiagency response” to the heat, distributing hyperthermia information and extending the hours of their outdoor pools on Thursday through Sunday.
D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray flew to Los Angeles on Thursday, where the temperatures stayed in the idyllic 70s, to pitch D.C. as a great location to shoot films.
Rodney Brown, who works for the city-run Camp Score, accompanied campers to Francis Swimming Pool in Northwest. The water was warm, he said, and his plan for the heat was “lemonade, iced tea, Gatorade — on ice, shaken not stirred, James Bond-style.”
The heat made auto parts more likely to fail and leave their sweating drivers stranded, warned AAA Mid-Atlantic, which receives 700 more roadside assistance calls whenever the thermometer bumps up 10 to 15 degrees.
“High heat can be as hard, if not harder, on cars and engines than cold weather,” said Martha Mitchell Meade, manager of public and government affairs. She warned of dead batteries, overheating cars, and the failure of rubber parts — belts, hoses, tires.
The heat wave, which covered a huge section of the country, from Kansas to Massachusetts, isn’t expected to cool off until early next week.
It’s claimed lives nationwide as people succumb to the high temperatures. Prince George’s County officials warned that body temperatures can climb too quickly, causing brain and other organ damage. Emergency calls in the county were up 15 percent on Thursday as of 5 p.m., and the region issued a “Code Red” for Friday, calling the air quality “unhealthy.”
Montgomery County advised its residents to use the buddy system as a precaution against the high heat.
Montgomery’s recreation centers tossed their sign-in procedures and access card requirements. A division of the Department of Recreation and Parks began distributing air conditioning units to residents in need.
Fairfax County counseled its citizenry on drinking water, but not alcohol and caffeinated beverages, as well as the powers of electric fans and lightweight, light-colored clothing. Emergency responders transported 11 Fairfax residents to the hospital for heat-induced illnesses, including seven severe cases.
In Rosslyn, several outdoor activities were canceled, including a popular farmers market.
Under a hyperthermia alert, Alexandria had to close the Warwick Pool Thursday afternoon because the phone system was down.
Fortunately, it reopened shortly before 3 p.m.
Amy Myers contributed to this report.
