Marylanders feel the heat as temperatures hit record highs and pollen persists
Marylanders are feeling a blast of summer in April, with record-high temperatures being set at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport.
The previous record-high on April 15 was 88 degrees in 1941. The temperature reached 90 degrees on Wednesday.
"I looked at the weather report, I was like, 'you must be kidding, 90 degrees in the middle of April,'" Baltimore resident Alicia Jones said. "We should get a rebate. There should be more money for the air conditioning bill because I don't know what is happening here."
Many Marylanders wonder where spring has gone after 90-degree temperatures rolled in. The temperatures are expected to remain around 90 degrees on Thursday.
"It could be anything from, like, snow to slightly warm. We didn't expect hot," said Danielle DiBlasi, from Miller's Island.
Pollen and allergies
The high tree and grass pollen count is making allergies unbearable for some.
"I think the fact that it's hotter already is actually making it worse," Baltimore resident Angie Jones said.
Dr. Jonathan Thierman, the CEO of Express Care Urgent Care, said that staying hydrated, using sunscreen, and taking allergy medicine should be year-round habits to avoid impacts now.
"We get kind of complacent during the wintertime," Dr. Thierman said. "All three of those are important throughout the year for people who are prone to things like allergies, so we should probably learn from the summer and continue, hopefully continue those patterns into the fall and winter."
Avoiding heat illnesses
Dr. Thierman also recommends drinking at least 60 to 70 ounces of water per day. He said that if you work outside, drink more water, and also add some electrolytes.
Some neighbors say they are trying to keep up, drinking lots of water and staying in the shade. This included Owen Hoey who went to the Baltimore Orioles matinee game on Wednesday.
"[I] drink a lot of water, but I'm still really hot," Hoey said. "With the snow and like the frozen ground, I thought it wasn't going to get this hot. That is fast."
