It’s been especially hot and humid this week, and today the National Weather Service issued a heat advisory from 11 a.m. through 8 p.m. for the District and a number of surrounding counties. In response, the city is keeping some of its public pools open until 9 p.m., and offering other services to help people cool off.
This is the first time this year that the heat advisory has gone into effect in the city. It kicks in whenever the NWS forecasts a heat index (what the temperature feels like when humidity levels are factored in) of 105 degrees.
On Tuesday, the sweltering heat also activated the city’s heat emergency plan for the sixth time this month. It goes into effect whenever the temperature or heat index reaches 95 degrees. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced on Thursday that the heat emergency plan would remain in place through Sunday.
The weather today is “uncomfortably hot and humid,” according to the Capital Weather Gang, and it’s only going to get more intense as the week goes on. Expected highs for today are 92 to 98 degrees, but parts of the afternoon might feel more like 100 to 105 because of the humidity. We might see some precipitation tonight and possibly tomorrow, but the heat and humidity aren’t going anywhere.
CWG forecasts that Friday will be even hotter, with the heat and humidity expected to stick around for much of the weekend. By the end of the work week, most of the D.C. region will reach temperatures in the mid-to-upper 90s and even 100 degrees in some locations. But, again, just like today, the high temperatures and humidity might mean that it will feel even hotter—think almost 115 degrees—in the mid-afternoon. Saturday and Sunday might also reach 100 degrees, with the lingering humidity making it feel more like 110 degrees during some parts of the day.
In response to the high temperatures, the city is extending service hours to 9 p.m. for 11 outdoor pools and splash parks. (See below for a full list.)
D.C. has published a map of the city’s cooling centers—a number of publicly accessible government facilities, homeless shelters, and senior citizen wellness centers that provide residents with a place to escape the heat. These centers will stay open until 6 p.m. or until the heat lets up and it’s safe to be outdoors. Additionally, Lyft announced on Thursday that it would offer free rides to certain cooling centers in the District through Sunday.
Some cooling centers have had trouble staying cool, prompting closures. Rosedale Library and Deanwood Library have had to close early due to high temperatures in the buildings resulting from heating, ventilation, and air conditioning issues. The Rosedale Library closed for five and a half hours on July 3, and has been closed for some portion of its operating hours since last Friday. The Deanwood Library closed on July 6 due to excessive heat in the library building.
Rosedale Library is closed again today because of high temperatures in the building, but Deanwood Library is currently open, according to a spokesperson for D.C. Public Libraries.
D.C. is keeping six low-barrier shelters (temporary shelters that provide short-term, emergency housing for people experiencing homelessness) open 24 hours each day through Sunday. Families seeking emergency shelter can call 311 for assistance or visit the Virginia Williams Family Resource Center during operating hours.
The Adams Place Day Center in Northeast will also be available as a cooling center for people experiencing homelessness, and the city will be providing transportation to cooling centers for people experiencing homelessness. To request transportation services, call the hyperthermia hotline at (202) 399-7093.
In northern Virginia, Arlington and Fairfax county public buses are permitting riders to drink water onboard, a break from the usual prohibition on drinking during the ride.
The D.C. Department of Human Services recommends that residents stay indoors, keep hydrated, limit sun exposure (especially during 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.), apply sunscreen before going outdoors, and opt for light-colored, lightweight clothing.
But it’s not just humans in danger of overheating. The Humane Rescue Alliance recommends that pet owners keep their animals well hydrated and opt for early morning or evening walks to avoid the hottest times of the day. The advocacy group also suggests pet owners avoid leaving pets in parked vehicles, which can heat up quickly, and in general, advise that pets be kept indoors when temperatures are at their peak.
Wondering about the animals at the National Zoo? Most animals are permitted to roam between the indoor and outdoor parts of the zoo year-round, and in the summer, most of the indoor areas are air-conditioned, according to the zoo’s website. The giant pandas, which don’t do well in the heat, are given access to an outdoor air-conditioned and water-cooled grotto, but on hot days they often opt to stay indoors, where there’s air conditioning.
Zoo animals’ methods for cooling off isn’t too different from human tactics. Some, like Andean bears, elephants, pandas, lions, tigers, and otters, keep cool by taking a dip in the zoo’s outdoor pools. Zookeepers also offer some of the animals, like gorillas, elephants and other bears, popsicles made of frozen diluted fruit juice and fruit chunks to help them keep cool. These so-called fruitsicles are available year-round but in the summer are especially refreshing for the animals.
These pools and splash parks are extending their hours:
Ward 1
Banneker (2500 Georgia Avenue, NW)
Ward 2
Francis (2435 N Street NW)
Jelleff (3265 S Street NW)
Ward 3
Friendship Recreation “Turtle Park” Center Splash Park (4500 Van Ness Street NW)
Ward 4
Upshur (4300 Arkansas Avenue NW)
Ward 5
Harry Thomas (1743 Lincoln Road NE)
Langdon Park (2860 Mills Avenue NE)
Ward 6
Rosedale (1701 Gales Street NE)
Ward 7
Kenilworth (4321 Ord Street NE)
Ward 8
Fort Stanton (1800 Erie Street SE)
Oxon Run (501 Mississippi Avenue SE)
These low-barrier shelters will be open 24 hours:
Men
801 East Shelter (801 Making Life Better Lane SE)
New York Avenue Shelter (1355-57 New York Avenue NE)
Adams Place Men’s Shelter (2210 Adams Place NE)
Women
Harriet Tubman, DC General Building (#27 1900 Massachusetts Avenue SE)
Patricia Handy Place for Women (810 5th Street NW)
Community for Creative Non-Violence (425 Second Street NW)
Gaspard Le Dem contributed reporting. This story has been updated with news that the mayor was extending the heat emergency plan through Sunday, and Lyft’s offer of free rides.
