Triple threat: DC area hit with heat advisory, poor air quality, storm alert on 4th of July

Keep an eye on the weather if you’re planning any outdoor activities to celebrate the Fourth of July, as the D.C. region is facing a hot and humid day with poor air quality in some places and even some possible thunderstorms later. Here’s what you need to know.

Northern Virginia and D.C. are under a Code Orange air quality alert, according to The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, while Maryland is only facing moderate air quality.

The National Weather Service has a heat advisory in effect from noon to 8 p.m. across the D.C. area. It also warned that severe thunderstorms are possible in the afternoon, with damaging winds.

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Thursday’s air quality alert could affect sensitive groups, according to 7News First Alert Chief Meteorologist Veronica Johnson.

“It’s code orange, which is unhealthy for sensitive groups,” Johnson said. “If you suffer from lung or heart ...