(Updated at 9:00 a.m.) Arlington and the rest of the D.C. region is under a heat advisory from noon to 8:00 p.m., as temperatures are expected to soar this afternoon.
Forecasters are predicting a high temperature of 96 degrees, with heat index values reaching into the 100s. Some forecasts even have the temperature hitting 100 today.
As a result of the dangerous heat, Arlington’s Office of Emergency Management issued the following advice this morning.
A HEAT ADVISORY MEANS THAT A PERIOD OF HOT TEMPERATURES IS EXPECTED. THE COMBINATION OF HOT TEMPERATURES AND HIGH HUMIDITY WILL COMBINE TO CREATE A SITUATION IN WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES ARE POSSIBLE. DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS…STAY IN AN AIR-CONDITIONED ROOM…STAY OUT OF THE SUN…AND CHECK IN ON RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS.
TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS IF YOU WORK OR SPEND TIME OUTSIDE. WHEN POSSIBLE…RESCHEDULE STRENUOUS ACTIVITIES TO EARLY MORNING OR EVENING. KNOW THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HEAT EXHAUSTION AND HEAT STROKE. WEAR LIGHT WEIGHT AND LOOSE FITTING CLOTHING WHEN POSSIBLE AND DRINK PLENTY OF WATER.
TO REDUCE RISK DURING OUTDOOR WORK…THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS SCHEDULING FREQUENT REST BREAKS IN SHADED OR AIR CONDITIONED ENVIRONMENTS. ANYONE OVERCOME BY HEAT SHOULD BE MOVED TO A COOL AND SHADED LOCATION. HEAT STROKE IS AN EMERGENCY – CALL 9 1 1.
In response to the heat, the Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network is opening its main office at 2708-B S. Nelson Street early, at 9:30 this morning. Homeless individuals will be able to go inside the office to get cool.
A-SPAN is requesting donations of bottled water to distribute to those remaining on the street. The organization is also requesting assistance in locating any street person who may be suffering from a heat-related medical condition. A-SPAN can be reached at 703-820-4357.
“It’s very important that we get people indoors today,” A-SPAN Executive Director Kathleen Sibert said in a statement. “The extreme heat is just as deadly as the extreme cold of winter and that’s why we’re opening up so much earlier today. If possible, when you go out today, bring an extra bottle of water with you and share it with someone on the street.”
Photo courtesy A-SPAN
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The temperature forecast is so sketchy. The official temp is recorded at the airport, which usually falls a couple degrees below other parts of the city. My prediction is 98 for the “official”, but lots of 100 and 99 marks at other reporting stations around town. Maybe even 101 since if feels like the humidity has dropped a little and we may get sun all day long.
Kind of hard to do if you follow Arlington’s car free diet and either take the bus and/or metro.
What is? Drinking fluids? And you should be able to stay out of the sun while waiting for most buses. Many underground metro stations also do not have much sunshine getting down to them.
If you mean “getting people indoors,” I think Sibert meant the homeless who might be out there all day.
Guest McGuest will be metroing/walking outside at 2:30ish, on the job!!
And remember, Mother Nature is only warming up.
No it’s not. It’s easy.
I know this will shock you, but most people can survive without being inside an air-conditioned cube 24 hours a day.
I rode my bike yesterday and took Metro today. No problem with the heat, but maybe that’s because I’m not sickly from getting no exercise.
ZING! Agreed.
Metro Bus rides are free on heat advisory days…
The last 16Y didn’t show up today, so fat lot of good “free” does.
I believe the Metrobus is free on “Code Red” days as determined by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. Today is a “Code Orange.”
http://www.mwcog.org/environment/air/forecast/
no, they stopped that last year. there was NO CHANGE in ridership on those days and yet they were giving away rides for free. great idea but didn’t work.
I loathe and detest summer. The heat makes me sick and I’ll spend the next 2 months barely able to function. My least favorite season, that’s for sure (& of course winter is my favorite!).
I try to avoid the weather report though since knowing the heat forecast makes me anxious about my ability to cope (or lack thereof).
Hear, hear! Give me 20 degrees and snow over 90 degrees and 90% humidity any day! I do more outside in January than I do in August (though fall is my favorite season).
Yer all wussies. Next thing you know, you’ll be asking for snow – in Southtown!!!
Showing your age. You’re too much.
Don’t tell Mother!
I heard that, snowball!
The beauty of this day is we’ll have every TV news person telling us to drink plenty of fluids, to avoid being outside between 10AM and 3 pm, to stay in the shade and if we have to be outside to carry water to stay hydrated. This is the perfect day for Our Viewers Are Too Stupid To Figure It Out stories.
They’re forced by the station’s ATTORNEYS to be that repetitive and obvious.
They are? Why? Do people sue TV stations when they get heat stroke?
I was being somewhat facetious but people are always moaning about meteorologists getting it wrong.
Damn you textual conversations and your inability to properly portraying the humorous nature of sarcasm and the witty…
Why is that guy giving them water??? In a bottle? This is crazy!