The Baltimore area hit a record 97 degrees Friday afternoon, breaking a mark that had stood since 1986 and capping a day of dangerous heat, storm threats and disruptions across Maryland.
That 5 p.m. reading eclipsed the previous high of 96 degrees, which was recorded in 1986 and 1914, according to Samantha Timmers, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
The day of extreme heat was capped off with storm watches throughout the night. Parts of Anne Arundel, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties and Southern Maryland remained under a severe thunderstorm watch until 9 p.m. Friday, though the advisory was lifted for the Baltimore area.
BGE was reporting that about 25,000 customers were affected by outages as of 10 p.m. It included more than 23,000 customers in Anne Arundel County and nearly 1,300 in Baltimore City.
Orioles fans who streamed into Camden Yards for a steamy Friday night game were able to breathe a sigh of relief as expected storms seemed to stay south of Baltimore in the Washington metro area.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a brief ground stop for flights late Friday afternoon, but it was lifted at 7 p.m. The agency said departures were delayed an average of about 90 minutes.
Residents remained under a heat advisory for much of Friday — one that has persisted for days and is expected to continue, according to the weather service.
Forecasters said dry conditions were expected behind a cold front Saturday, with less humidity and highs in the upper 80s. It will feel noticeably cooler, with the threat of thunderstorms returning Sunday afternoon
Meteorologists said earlier Friday the predicted storms could bring brief heavy rain, large hail and lightning.
High temperatures were expected to reach just below 100 degrees, with the heat index hitting 105.
At least five schools in Harford County were closed or dismissed students early Friday because of broken air conditioning units.
The Baltimore City Health Commissioner issued a "Code Red Extreme Heat Alert“ through Friday. The status opened cooling centers and extended hours at city pools for people experiencing homelessness to cool off.
Some city services paused for the day because of the heat. The Baltimore City Department of Public Works suspended trash and recycling pickup just before 3 p.m. Friday, and the sheriff’s office said it would not conduct evictions Friday.
Residents of Howard County can cool off inside community centers, senior centers and library branches, county officials said in an announcement. Cooling centers in Baltimore County can be found on its website and others in the state on the Department of Health website.
Baltimore Gas and Electric warned customers the summer heat “means higher energy use and higher bills.”
“The most important action customers can take today is to control their energy use,” BGE said in a statement.
To save money, BGE recommended having your AC unit serviced and cleaned, using fans to cool a room and closing drafty windows and doors to prevent warm air from coming inside. You can find more information from the energy company here.
Those celebrating at the Baltimore Pride Parade on Saturday should have better luck. Severe storms are unlikely, though it will still be hot. If you are sensitive to heat, stay inside as much as possible and drink plenty of water.
The Baltimore-Washington area will remain under a heat advisory through much of Saturday, with strong to severe thunderstorms possible in the afternoon and evening, and again on Sunday afternoon and evening.
This article has been updated.
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