Maryland Weather: Thursday is an Alert Day due to heat & storms
BALTIMORE -- Today is a #WJZAlertDay for extreme heat and humidity.
Highs are reaching mid and upper 90s Thursday afternoon. Heat index values will reach around 102 degrees in Baltimore, but the Eastern Shore could see values as high as 104 degrees to 108 degrees.
There will be a very small chance for a late-day storm Thursday, as a cold front and trough of low pressure swing through the region. Any storms with the type of heat and humidity we have will likely be severe.
The areas with the best chance for seeing these storms will be southern Maryland and the lower Eastern Shore, where the Storm Prediction Center has given a marginal risk for severe storms. Damaging winds are the main threat.
The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Worcester County until 6 p.m. Similar warnings were previously in parts of southern and central Maryland, including Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, Dorchester, Prince George's, Somerset and St. Mary's counties.
A heat advisory is in effect for the I-95 corridor, parts of southern Maryland and the Eastern Shore until 8 p.m. Overnight temps will only fall to the low-to-mid 70s.
Heat illnesses are a concern today with temperatures in the upper 90s and heat index values up to 108 degrees.
Here are some tips for staying safe in the heat:
- If you can, limit your time outdoors
- If you need to be out, take plenty of breaks in the shade and A/C
- Stay hydrated with plenty of water
- Never leave pets or kids in cars, even with the windows down. Temperatures can be 30° to 40° hotter inside your car
- Keep pets inside. If it's too hot for us, it's too hot for them
- Reschedule exercise or move it inside to the A/C
Friday will continue hot with highs in the mid-90s, but the heat and humidity really crank up a notch this weekend with temperatures in the mid-to-upper 90s for Saturday and Sunday.
The humidity will be higher on Sunday, so another Alert Day has been issued due to the expected heat index reaching 100 degrees to 110 degrees.
A cold front will move into the area Monday, with a thunderstorm threat and cooler temperatures to follow for Tuesday. Right now it is too early to determine whether we will have severe weather next week.
