In a hot D.C. summer, Sunday stood out as the hottest day so far. The temperature rose above 100 degrees for the first time, and it set a record.
Washington
Scorching Sunday was D.C.’s hottest day of 2024 — so far
Records, it is said, are made to be broken. Great heat has been predicted for Monday and Tuesday, and it is possible that Sunday’s high will be exceeded.
However, at least for a day, and according to weather service records, it was the District’s highest temperature reached this year.
It marked the second time in 2024 that the mercury has reached the 100-degree mark. The first was on June 22, when the temperature was 100.
July has had many hot days, to be sure. Some of them may have seemed like 100. But the highest actual temperature this month was the 99-degree reading made on July 9.
It is fair to say that Sunday was humid as well as hot. The heat index, which is a figure computed from both heat and humidity was as high as 105.
Dew points dwelled in the 60s and 70s. They too help suggest the amount of moisture in the air, and the extent to which it makes things unpleasant. Dew points such as Sunday’s have been described as ranging from uncomfortable to oppressive.
Clouds drifted in the blue skies above. They seemed to signal summertime. But they gave little reliable shade or protection from a strong sun.
In the District, Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) reminded the city that a heat emergency has been declared through Wednesday.
“Please stay cool and check on seniors and neighbors,” she said Sunday in a message on social media.
“If you see someone in need,” she said, call the shelter hotline, at 202-399-7093 or dial 311.