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Washington, DC Cherry Blossoms Hit Peak Bloom Way Early

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Washington, DC Cherry Blossoms Hit Peak Bloom Way Early


Washington, DC’s famed cherry blossoms hit peak bloom Sunday—about two weeks earlier than is typical, and tied with the year 2000 as the second-earliest date on record. Experts say it’s yet another consequence of climate change, with warmer weather speeding along the bud development cycle, the Washington Post reports. Most of the cherry tree buds made it through the entire cycle in 15 days this year; peak bloom is defined as the time when 70% of the trees are flowering. Cherry trees, or sakura, are even more iconic in Japan than DC (the oldest ones in the US capital were gifts from Japan, planted in Washington in 1912), and they’re blooming earlier than usual in that country, too, Time reports.

In both countries, it’s an ongoing trend, with peak bloom shifting gradually earlier over time. “Spring is most definitely starting earlier than when you were a kid,” says one expert who works at an organization tracking seasonal changes. Another possible change in the future: If winter temperatures rise to a certain point, the trees won’t experience the necessary degree of chill they need in order to ensure they “awaken” with the warmth of spring. (More than 150 of the trees are being removed in DC as part of an effort to fix sea walls, and people are saying goodbye to one tree in particular nicknamed “Stumpy.”)

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Washington, D.C

Nightclub dispute turns violent as six shot in Washington DC, one suspect arrested

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Nightclub dispute turns violent as six shot in Washington DC, one suspect arrested


Chaos erupted at a nightclub following a dispute as six individuals were shot, media reports said citing authorities. Assistant Chief Ramey Kyle of the Metropolitan Police Department revealed that the incident stemmed from a dispute inside the club, which subsequently escalated onto the streets. 

The incident took place on Friday (Apr 27) around 11 pm in the vicinity of Decades nightclub on Connecticut Avenue NW in Washington, D.C.’s Dupont Circle neighbourhood. Fortunately, none of the victims sustained life-threatening injuries, confirmed the police.

Prompt action by law enforcement led to the arrest of a suspect near the scene. A firearm was also seized during the arrest, though further details regarding the suspect and the exact nature of the altercation remain undisclosed at this time.

According to the Metropolitan Police, the troubling incident unfolded outside a Dupont Circle nightclub when a man, recently thrown out from the nightclub premises, brandished a firearm and opened fire.

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This resulted in injuries to five individuals and a security guard. Apparently, the dispute arose on the street following the man’s expulsion from the club.

Emergency responders treated one person at the scene, while bullets shattered at least one window along the nightlife hub. It remains uncertain whether the victims were inside or outside the venue when they were shot.

Watch | UK PM Rishi Sunak coaxes voters with key legislations

Currently employing 3,323 officers, Chief of Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia Pamela Smith has expressed a desire to reach an ideal staffing level of 4,000 officers. To bolster recruitment, a new in-person recruiting team has been deployed in Washington DC and nationwide.

This event added to the concerning trend of rising violent crime in the District of Columbia. Statistics indicate a significant 39 percent surge in violent incidents in 2023, with homicides alone escalating by 35 percent and carjackings nearly doubling.

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(With inputs from agencies)

Heena Sharma

Heena Sharma is a digital journalist who writes mostly on current geopolitical developments. @HeenaSharma0819



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Washington, D.C

D.C.-area forecast: Cool with showers today, then the heat is on

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D.C.-area forecast: Cool with showers today, then the heat is on


A somewhat subjective rating of the day’s weather, on a scale of 0 to 10.

3/10: We can use the April showers, like on a Monday or Wednesday instead.

  • Today: Scattered showers, especially midday. Highs: Upper 50s to low 60s.
  • Tonight: Clearing. Patchy fog late? Lows: Upper 40s to low 50s.
  • Tomorrow: Mostly sunny. Highs: Low to mid-80s.

A warm front is headed north through the Mid-Atlantic today. With it, a band of fairly thick clouds and embedded showers. While it won’t be feeling warm for the first half of the weekend, early-season heat is coming. Our first legitimate shot at 90 degrees this year arrives on Monday, following 80s on Sunday.

Today (Saturday): A shower could be around as soon as sunrise, but odds are highest from about midmorning through mid- or late afternoon. Much of the activity is light, amounting to a tenth or two of an inch where it falls the most consistently and many spots seeing less. It is the leading edge of much warmer air, but we won’t feel it yet thanks to highs in the upper 50s and low 60s. Winds may be variable, favoring from the south and southeast around 10 mph. Confidence: Medium-High

Tonight: Outside a small chance of a shower early, skies will be trending clearer through the evening and night. Temperatures are probably somewhat milder than they have been with upper 40s and low 50s for lows most places. Some patchy fog might develop late and toward dawn. Confidence: Medium-High

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Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest weather updates. Keep reading for the forecast through the weekend…

Tomorrow (Sunday): Patchy fog dissipates quickly with sunrise and then mostly sunny skies, plus being south of the warm front, deliver the first of a stretch of very warm ones. Afternoon readings strive for the low and mid-80s. Winds likely blow around five to 10 mph from the southwest. Confidence: Medium-High

Tomorrow night: Mostly clear skies persist. Upper 50s to lower 60s is a good range for lows, although more folks may end up 60-plus than below the mark as moisture levels tick upward. Confidence: Medium

Mostly sunny conditions should continue Monday. As hot temperatures settle in, we may be hoping for any clouds we can get. Highs are about 86 to 91 across the area, coolest well north and west or where winds are off the water. Confidence: Medium

It’s feeling a bit summerlike ahead of a cold front. Lows in the low and mid-60s Tuesday give way to morning sun and bubbling clouds into the midday. Hit-or-miss afternoon to evening showers and storms are possible, some of which could be strong to severe. Mid-80s to around 90 should do it for highs before any storm threat materializes. Confidence: Medium

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Washington, D.C

Against April’s showery image, Friday was another dry day

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Against April’s showery image, Friday was another dry day


Friday in the D.C. area may have created concern, possibly among skeptics puzzled by the protracted persistence of fine weather here.

Springtime can be fickle and spring days may be raw or chilly. But Friday seemed hard to fault. Even if it fell short of the strictest standards of atmospheric perfection, it offered undeniable attractions.

They blended the scenic, the thermal and the physiological.

Much bright springtime blue appeared aloft. Clouds appeared throughout the day, but seemed unable to deny the Washington area an ample measure of warm sunshine.

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The afternoon high temperature reached 66 degrees. That is six below the average high in Washington for the date. But it fell just shy of that thermal zone considered to be the most comfortable.

Any blemishes seemed few and minor. Even with a high wind of 17 mph and a peak gust of 22, there seemed little about Friday afternoon to evoke dismay or displeasure.

In many of the measurements that characterize weather, Friday might have seemed a middling sort of day, devoid of unusual distinctions.

But it also seemed the sort of day that would be welcome at almost any time. Recognition of its quiet merits may have been hampered by following so many fine previous days.

Friday’s 66 degree high was warmer than the 62 of Thursday. And if Friday did not stand out among its glittering April predecessors, it did seem worthy of standing among them.

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Of the five days that came before, Friday was cooler than two, and warmer than three.

In the warm weather season, Washington humidity can be a torment but Friday’s hallmark seemed to be the crisp and invigorating dryness of the air.

A figure known as the dew point gives a measure of humidity. It indicates how low the temperature would need to sink to squeeze any water vapor out of the air.

On Friday, that condensation threshold seemed unattainable. At 1 p.m., with Washington in the low 60s, the dew point indicated that the air was so unusually dry, it would have to be freezing here before any water could be wrung from it.

So, at least through late afternoon, in a month known for showers, Washington went through another day without rain, and without the promise or threat of it.

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In the past two weeks, the dry air that has discouraged perspiration and prompted psychic and physical vitality, has been unproductive in its moisture output.

Since April 12, Washington’s almost-desiccated atmosphere has yielded only .14 inches of rain.

With its vast expanses of often-blue skies, Friday was one more day in that long dry stretch.



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