Marylanders dragging through a second long stretch of 90-degree weather this summer face some of the hottest weather of the season Saturday as the mercury heads into record-breaking, triple-digit territory.
The Saturday forecast high for BWI-Marshall Airport is 100 degrees, which would smash the 97-degree record for the date, last matched in 1987. With high humidity, heat index values could reach 106 degrees.
At the Maryland Science Center downtown, the predicted high is 102 degrees, with a heat index of 108.
Friday's high was 98 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. The heat and humidity were sending people to local hospitals, and making outdoor activity — even breathing the polluted air — dangerous. The weather has even proved deadly for some.
Three more heat-related deaths were confirmed Friday by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Two of the victims were found indoors, in homes with no air-conditioning.
The deaths bring this year's total to 16, far surpassing last year's toll of six dead.
Public health authorities reported a "marked increase" in heat-related hospital visits. They urged Marylanders to stay out of the sun, drink plenty of fluids, and to check on vulnerable family members and neighbors.
On Friday afternoon, Guy DeAntonio, 68, heeded the warning, repeatedly refilling a cup with water and occasionally ducking into the air conditioning of the Mars supermarket in Cockeysville between helping shoppers load groceries into their cars.
But "once you're in there and cool off, the heat feels worse," he said. However, he's looking forward to spending his Saturday off outside with "cold beer and a cold pool."
The National Weather Service posted an excessive heat watch for Saturday for all of Central and Southern Maryland. Heat index readings — a measure of the effects of heat and humidity in hampering the body's ability to cool itself — could rise as high as 110 degrees in some locations.
The weather service and local health authorities posted heat advisories, a Code Orange air-quality alert and, in Baltimore City, a Code Red heat alert for Saturday.
NWS meteorologist Brandon Peloquin blamed a Bermuda high — a large area of high pressure over the East Coast and the Western Atlantic that continues to pump warm, damp air this way from the Gulf of Mexico.
"It looks like [Saturday] is going to be the hottest day of this stretch of heat," he said. A heat index of 105 to 110 degrees "would be extremely dangerous, so we advise people, if you can, stay inside in an air-conditioned area" or find a place that has cooling.
"If you are outside in that environment for even a short amount of time, it can produce a lot of stress on the body," he said.
Two of the people whose recent deaths were found to be heat-related were over 65 years old. One was a Baltimore resident found at a home without air conditioning. The other was found outdoors in Prince George's County when temperatures exceeded 90 degrees, said David Paulson, a spokesman for the state health department.
The third death was that of a 64-year-old man who was found last month inside an automobile without air conditioning in Prince George's County.
All three victims suffered from hypertension or heart conditions, Paulson said. So far this year, 15 of the 16 heat-related deaths were people with underlying heart disease.
For those braving the heat to see some baseball this weekend, Orioles' fans will be provided with complimentary cups of ice at all of the games at Camden Yards this weekend, according to Monica Barlow, the team's director of public relations. Fans who have seats in the sun will also be provided with comparable shaded seats when possible, if requested.
As for the Oriole Bird, Barlow said, "We are aware of the physical demands placed on the Oriole Bird on a normal day, and this is magnified when the temperature rises. We have procedures in place to make sure the Bird is well-hydrated and gets adequate time for rest while still keeping our fans entertained at Camden Yards."
Public health officials reminded people to look after their neighbors, especially those vulnerable to heat-related problems. "We all know those folks, an elderly or senior neighbor," said Maryland Secretary of Health John M. Colmers. "Let's keep an eye out for one another this weekend."
Residents themselves are reminded to be wary of the weather this weekend. "It's common sense," Colmers said. "Stay out of the sun if you can. Stay hydrated."
On Friday, Gailan Wensil, 21 and Justin Beckenheimer, 24, decided to call it a day after spending 45 minutes on the tennis courts at County Home Park in Cockeysville. "It's pretty brutal," Beckenheimer said. "I need a friend with a pool."
The two did prepare for the extreme heat bringing a gallon jug of Deer Park water and Gatorade inside a cooler of ice.
Colmers also reminded people that alcohol will not stave off the dangers of dehydration.
"A cold beer may taste great, but it won't keep you hydrated," he said. "You're much better off drinking water, lemonade, even fruit juice. Just not alcohol. Symptoms [of heat related problems] can come up quickly. Listen to your body."
As tragic as the heat-related deaths of 16 Marylanders this summer are, there have been far deadlier summers in past years. The summer of 2005 and 2006 each had over 40 deaths, with 2005 almost reaching 50. In 2007, the number declined to 21 heat-related deaths and further in 2008 with only 17.
"All the high death rates are correlated with 90-degree-plus days," Paulson said. "2005 and 2006 were extremely hot summers. Be careful."
This, too, is proving to be an extremely hot summer for Maryland.
The National Weather Service said Baltimore has recorded 36 days of 90-degree weather through Thursday, one more than for the same period in any other year since record-keeping began in 1871.
The average number of 90-plus days for one year in Baltimore is 29.4. The record is 54 days, set in 1988.
And the end of this heat wave is not in sight. The seven-day forecast calls for more highs in the 90s through next Thursday.
That would extend the current stretch of 90-degree weather from nine (through Friday) to 15 days. That's the second long string of 90-degree days this summer. The first was an 11-day streak, June 19-29.
Peloquin saw little relief ahead. "There's a very slight chance of a late afternoon or evening thunderstorm [Saturday], but it's very slight," he said. "There's a better chance of storms on Sunday" as a cold front reaches the area from the north. That will dry the atmosphere a bit and "cool" things to the low 90s for a few days.
But the forecast models bring more highs in the mid- to upper-90s by the middle of next week, with more high humidity.
"From past experience," Peloquin said, "especially in summer, once we get into a pattern, it's hard to break. The indications are that we will stay in an above-normal temperature pattern probably for the rest of the summer."
Baltimore Sun reporter Jessica Anderson contributed to this article.
Tips to stay cool and safe during the heat
Drink more fluids, especially water, and don't wait until you're thirsty to do it.
Wear light-colored, lightweight, loose-fitting clothing.
Limit activity, such as exercise, to early-morning and evening hours.
If you do exercise, drink two to four glasses of fluids per hour.
Eat small meals and avoid high-protein foods, which increase metabolic heat.
If outside, try to rest often in shady areas.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control, the American Red Cross and the Gatorade Sports Science Institute
—Andrea Walker