3-day string of 100-degree highs could include DC region's hottest July Fourth on record

[mahatmakanejeeves]

3-day string of 100-degree highs could include DC region’s hottest July Fourth on record

Will Vitka | [e-mail]
Tracy Johnke | [e-mail]

July 2, 2026, 6:52 AM

This Fourth of July is expected to be the D.C. area’s hottest on record, and the third in a stretch of brutally hot and potentially dangerous 100-degree days.

7News First Alert Meteorologist Eileen Whelan said the D.C. region will experience the hottest stretch of weather so far this year starting on Thursday and continuing through Saturday, with highs reaching around 100 degrees.

“We likely will have some new record highs at area airports, but with the high humidity, feels like temperatures will be at about 110 to 112 both today and tomorrow afternoons.” Whelan said.

The National Weather Service has extreme heat warnings in effect for both Thursday and Friday.

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Will Vitka
William Vitka is a Digital Writer/Editor for WTOP.com. He's been in the news industry for over a decade. Before joining WTOP, he worked for CBS News, Stuff Magazine, The New York Post and wrote a variety of books—about a dozen of them, with more to come.
[e-mail]

Tracy Johnke
Tracy Johnke rejoined the WTOP News family in 2026 as a reporter.
[e-mail]

[Easterncedar]

1. It's maddening, the time we are losing while fighting the fascist moron

The planet burns while the rich accumulate wealth and waste energy, and we can't mobilize because our government is profoundly corrupt.