Avoid being in the direct rays of the sun

Take frequent breaks if you plan to be outdoors

Drink lots of water, even if you don't feel thirsty. Two liters of water a day is recommended 

Remember pets and the elderly in the heat

Make sure ceiling fans are circulating counterclockwise to circulate cooler air downward

In preparation for the unusually hot weather, Baltimore City's Health Department is declaring its first 'Code Red Extreme' Heat Alert. The alert begins Sunday and runs through the middle of the week. A list of cooling centers is available HERE.

Thursday, June 25, should be the last day of the heat wave in Maryland. 

While extreme heat warnings are not likely on Thursday, we're still forecasting hot and steamy temperatures. Highs Thursday afternoon will reach the lower 90s with heat index values close to 100°.

A cold front will continue to sag south Thursday afternoon, sparking off numerous showers and thunderstorms. 

A few of these storms could be strong to severe with locally damaging winds. The greater risk from these storms may be localized flash flooding, given the high humidity values and potentially slow-moving storm motions. Some neighborhoods could receive locally a quick 1 to 3 inches of rain while other neighborhoods will receive far less from these hit or miss storms.

Friday will be much cooler as the cold front sinks south of us. High temperatures may not even reach 80° in some neighborhoods. There is the chance of showers Friday, especially during the morning. 

The upcoming weekend will turn hotter and more muggy once again as the cold front that brought relief Friday lifts north as a warm front. 

Expect variable clouds with hot and muggy weather Saturday and Sunday. Widely scattered to scattered thunderstorms will develop during the afternoon and evening hours. These storms will be of the hit-or-miss variety, so not every neighborhood will get wet. Neighborhoods that do receive storms could receive locally heavy rainfall, cloud-to-ground lightning, and gusty winds.

Highs over the weekend will be steamy. Saturday's highs will climb toward the upper 80s. Sunday's high temperatures will reach 90°, but with high humidity levels, feels like temperatures will top out in the middle to upper 90s.