WASHINGTON -- Unless you've been stuck inside an air-conditioned cocoon, you know it's hot outside. But it's getting dangerously hot.
The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning for much of Northern Virginia, the District of Columbia and Baltimore. An excessive heat watch covers suburban areas of Maryland between the nation's capital and Baltimore. A heat advisory covers much of the rest of the Mid-Atlantic states.
The NWS warns that temperatures will head up to around 100 degrees with heat index values between 110 and 115 degrees. The combination of high temperatures and humidity will create dangerous conditions for those who spend extended periods of time outside, those who do not stay properly hydrated and others who are vulnerable to heat exhaustion.
Just after 10 a.m., a weather observer at Reagan National Airport reported a temperature of 97 degrees, according to Capital Weather Gang, which reports:
The record high today of 101 at Reagan National airport, set in 1934, is likely to be threatened. The all-time June high of 102, set in 1874 and 2011 is also in jeopardy.
Wildfires on national forest land in Virginia continue to burn, according to InciWeb, and smoke from those blazes have been drifting toward the nation's capital, creating hazy conditions.
The extreme heat is expected to stick around all weekend and into next week. Metro is allowing passengers to carry and consume bottled water on its trains and buses, though the transit agency's prohibition on other drinks and food remains in effect.
This weekend, D.C. public swimming pools will have extended hours, according to the the Department of Parks and Recreation.
UPDATE, 10 p.m.: The high temperature at Reagan National Airport hit 104 degrees at 4:52 p.m. Friday.