D.C. soars to record high of 102 amid hottest summer to date (2024)

For a second straight day, Washington soared into the triple digits, setting a record high. Its high of 102 Monday followed Sunday’s 101, at the midpoint of a summer that has been the hottest on record to date.

The ongoing heat wave — the third of the summer — is perhaps the most intense and dangerous.

After reaching 96 on Saturday, 101 on Sunday and 102 on Monday, Washington is forecast to reach the upper 90s to 100s on Tuesday and Wednesday as well. With high humidity, the heat index is expected to reach 105 to 110 degrees, prompting the National Weather Service to put most of the region under excessive-heat warnings through Tuesday.

The heat and humidity “will significantly increase the potential for heat-related illnesses, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities,” the Weather Service said. “Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances.”

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No alerts are posted yet for Wednesday, when the heat index could be near 105.

Here are the predicted highs through Wednesday and the records that could be threatened:

  • Tuesday: Forecast high of 101; record is 104 from 1988.
  • Wednesday: Forecast high of 97; record is 102 from 1980.

Nighttime lows dropping to only around 80 degrees could also challenge records.

While this heat wave looks to be shorter than previous ones this summer, it could very well end up as the hottest and most dangerous. Much of the region is forecast to reach a Level 4 on the Weather Service’s HeatRisk scale — which rates the danger of the heat to human health — through Tuesday. That is the highest level, described as “rare and/or long-duration extreme heat with little to no overnight relief.”

Climate Central’s Climate Shift Index for Monday indicated that human-caused climate change has made such heat five times as likely.

Portions of the region could still be at a Level 4 HeatRisk on Wednesday while others drop to a Level 3, described as “major” heat that “affects anyone without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration.”

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If D.C. hits 100 degrees or higher again Tuesday and Wednesday, it will have reached triple digits on four consecutive days. That would tie the longest such streak on record, matching heat waves in 1930 and 2012. There’s a chance, though, that more clouds keep Wednesday’s temperature below 100.

A cold front coming through late Wednesday, bringing the week’s best chance of showers and thunderstorms, should drop highs back to the 80s to near 90 from Thursday through Saturday. Highs could climb back into the 90s on Sunday through the middle of next week, but as of now it looks like the more tolerable low to mid-90s, rather than the oppressive mid-90s to near 100.

How hot has it been?

The first, and longest, heat wave of the summer spanned 11 days, reaching 90 degrees or higher from June 17 to 27. The average high temperature during the hottest portion of that stretch, June 21 to 26, was 96.3.

During a seven-day stretch from July 5 to last Thursday, each day’s high temperature reached 95 or higher, with an average high of 97.4.

After a one-day break in the heat, with a high of 83 on Friday, D.C. started its most recent streak of highs at or above 90 on Saturday. Here are some of the scorching statistics from this sizzling D.C. summer:

  • With an average daily temperature of 81.3, this summer is the hottest on record to date, surpassing 80.9 in 2010.
  • The 27 days at or above 90 degrees thus far is 10 above average and more like the number typically expected by the first week of August.
  • D.C. has reached 98 or higher on nine days. The most on record in a summer was 13 days in 1930, followed by 11 in 2012.

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  • D.C. set calendar-day record highs of 101 on Sunday and 102 on Monday, and 99 on June 23.
  • The six excessive-heat warnings issued by the Weather Service so far this July are the most on record in a month since at least 2006, according statistics from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet. An excessive-heat warning is issued when heat indexes near or above 110 are expected.
  • D.C.’s highest heat index so far this summer is 111.
  • Five days have had lows of 80 or higher, tied for the second-most on record in a summer. The maximum in a year was seven, in both 2016 and 2011.
D.C. soars to record high of 102 amid hottest summer to date (2024)

FAQs

D.C. soars to record high of 102 amid hottest summer to date? ›

D.C. set calendar-day record highs of 101 on Sunday and 102 on Monday, and 99 on June 23. The six excessive-heat warnings issued by the Weather Service so far this July are the most on record in a month since at least 2006, according statistics from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet.

What was the hottest temperature in DC ever? ›

It was only two degrees lower than the all-time highest temperature recorded in the area which was 106 degrees on August 6, 1918, and July 20, 1930. D.C. has also experienced 28 days of high temperatures over 90 degrees, so far this year and well above the average pace.

What was the hottest day in 2024? ›

The European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service said preliminary data shows July 21 was Earth's hottest day since at least 1940. Sunday, July 21 was Earth's hottest day on record, according to a climate tracking agency based in Europe.

When was the hottest summer in US history? ›

The "Dust Bowl" years of 1930-36 brought some of the hottest summers on record to the United States, especially across the Plains, Upper Midwest and Great Lake States.

What was the hottest day on Earth ever? ›

The world just saw the hottest day ever in recorded history, on July 21 - The Washington Post.

When was the last time DC hit 100 degrees? ›

The District had gone nearly eight years without reaching 100 until June 22, when it again touched the century mark. This summer, only about half over, has seen four days reach the triple digits.

Is this the hottest summer in DC? ›

An assessment of various extreme temperature benchmarks to date shows this year near the top every list: 29 days at 90 degrees or higher, tied for the seventh-most. There were only 32 during all of last year. 17 days at 95 degrees or higher, second-most behind 2012's 18.

What year was the hottest year on Earth? ›

Details. The year 2023 was the warmest year since global records began in 1850 at 1.18°C (2.12°F) above the 20th-century average of 13.9°C (57.0°F). This value is 0.15°C (0.27°F) more than the previous record set in 2016. The 10 warmest years in the 174-year record have all occurred during the last decade (2014–2023).

Which year will be the hottest? ›

The latest data suggest 2024 could outrank 2023 as the hottest year since records began after human-caused climate change and the El Nino natural weather phenomenon both pushed temperatures to record highs in the year so far, some scientists said.

Was Sunday the hottest day ever recorded? ›

WASHINGTON (AP) — On Sunday, the Earth sizzled to the hottest day ever measured by humans, yet another heat record shattered in the past couple of years, according to the European climate service Copernicus Tuesday.

Is summer 2024 going to be hotter than 2023? ›

NOAA's latest projections gave 2024 a 61% chance of beating 2023 as the warmest year on record. Summer 2023 was Earth's hottest on record (since 1850) and likely the hottest in the last 2,000 years.

Is this really the hottest summer on record? ›

Based on those records, the summer of 2023 was clearly the hottest in the past 2,000 years. Last summer's temperature proved to be at least 0.5 degree C above that of C.E.246—a time that was the hottest summer before direct measurements began and long before human-caused warming emerged.

What was the worst heatwave in human history? ›

July 1743 heatwave in China - Beijing reached 44.4 °C (111.9 °F) on July 25, higher than any modern records. 11,400 people reportedly died. July 1757 heatwave – Europe, hottest summer in Europe since 1540 and until 2003. 1896 Eastern North America heat wave – killed 1,500 people in August 1896.

What is the hottest place on Earth every day? ›

The hottest place on Earth is Furnace Creek in Death Valley, California (USA), where a temperature of 56.7°C (134°F) was recorded on 10 July 1913. In summer months, Death Valley has an average daily high of 45°C (113°F). This is only the air temperature, with surface heat much higher.

What was the hottest night ever? ›

The incredibly hot temperature has not, however, broken the record for hottest night—amazingly enough. That remains held by Khasab Airport in Oman remained above 111.6°F for the entire night.

What are the 5 warmest years on record? ›

Annual Global Temperature Records
  • Five Factors to Explain the Record Heat in 2023. ...
  • 2022 Tied for Fifth Warmest Year on Record. ...
  • 2021 Continued Earth's Warming Trend. ...
  • 2020 Tied for Warmest Year on Record. ...
  • 2019 Was the Second Warmest Year on Record. ...
  • 2018 Was the Fourth Warmest Year, Continuing Long Warming Trend.

What's the hottest it's ever been in history? ›

The current official highest registered air temperature on Earth is 56.7 °C (134.1 °F), recorded on 10 July 1913 at Furnace Creek Ranch, in Death Valley in the United States.

What is the hottest time of year in Washington DC? ›

June-August

The months between June and August are the busiest and hottest of the year in D.C. High average temperatures in the upper 80s are coupled with sticky humidity.

What was the coldest day in Washington DC history? ›

The coldest day ever in Washington was in 1899.

What is the hottest place ever recorded in the US? ›

Death Valley holds the record for the highest air temperature on the planet: On 10 July 1913, temperatures at the aptly named Furnace Creek area in the California desert reached a blistering 56.7°C (134.1°F). Average summer temperatures, meanwhile, often rise above 45°C (113°F).

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