Overview
- AirNow and local monitors recorded Code Red air quality for Washington, D.C., and parts of Northern Virginia on Saturday, driven mainly by fine particles known as PM2.5 and reducing visibility.
- Health officials advised everyone to limit outdoor time, use air conditioning or HEPA purifiers indoors, and wear well-fitting N95 or KN95 masks if going outside during the unhealthy period.
- A heat advisory in effect from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. raised heat-index stress with highs in the mid-90s and humidity making it feel near 105 degrees for many residents.
- Forecasters say winds shifting and multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms should begin clearing smoke late Saturday into Sunday, and AirNow projects more substantial improvement with a Sunday AQI near 77.
- The National Weather Service warned some storms could produce damaging gusts up to about 70 mph, large hail, isolated tornadoes and very heavy rain, creating a trade-off between faster air-quality relief and acute storm hazards that could disrupt outdoor plans and threaten vulnerable people.