MD Weather: Heat Advisory As 103-Degree Feels Like Temps Arrive

MARYLAND — Much of Maryland is under an air quality alert on Wednesday ahead of scorching heat and humidity that forecasters expect will make it feel like 103 degrees on Thursday.

A heat advisory has been issued from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday.

Expect hot weather on Wednesday, but with a bit less humidity, the National Weather Service said. Conditions turn hot and humid on Thursday with increasing storm chances into the weekend. Scattered instances of flooding are possible on Friday.

The Maryland Department of the Environment has issued a Code Orange Air Quality Alert Wednesday for the Baltimore City metro and Annapolis region.

The alert means that air pollution concentrations within the region may become unhealthy for
sensitive groups. Sensitive groups include children, people suffering from asthma, heart disease or other lung diseases and the elderly. The effects of air pollution can be minimized by avoiding strenuous activity or exercise outdoors.

For more information, visit the department's website.

Thursday’s heat spike is likely to be worse in New England and upstate New York, when compared to the mid-Atlantic, AccuWeather.com said. Washington, D.C., peaked at 99 degrees for the year to date on July 24 and 17. The capitol could approach that mark on Thursday.

"In the coastal mid-Atlantic, where the air will be the most humid, RealFeel Temperatures may range between 105 and 110 for a few hours" on Thursday, AccuWeather predicts.

Here's the latest Maryland forecast from the National Weather Service:

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph in the afternoon.

Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 75. Southeast wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Thursday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 97. Heat index values as high as 103. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 8 mph in the morning.

Thursday Night: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 76. South wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Friday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 2pm and 5pm, then showers and thunderstorms likely after 5pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Friday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely before 11pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 11pm and 2am, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Saturday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly after 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 88. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Saturday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 8pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 8pm and 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Sunday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Sunday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 75. Chance of precipitation is 30%.