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CBS News
an hour ago
- Climate
- CBS News
Maryland heat wave peaks, severe storms & flood risk Thursday
Maryland will be enduring the sixth day of this current heat wave. This latest heat wave will peak in intensity today with high temperatures in the upper 90s and feels like temperatures soaring to 100° to 110°. We are entering day six of our current wave and despite the end being in sight, we're going to have to tough out the most challenging day of heat and humidity. High temperatures will climb into the middle to upper 90s. Combine the heat with tropical levels of humidity, and it's a potentially dangerous cocktail of weather, if you're not taking the adequate steps, to keep your body cool and hydrated. This is a WJZ First Alert Weather Day for extreme heat and humidity. Air Quality Alerts are in effect Wednesday for the following counties in Maryland: Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Baltimore City, Harford, Cecil, and central and eastern Howard. Ground level ozone will reach unhealthy levels leading to code orange air quality. The sick, the elderly, and other vulnerable groups should limit time outside due to the unhealthy air and extreme temperatures. A Heat Advisory is also in effect for most of Maryland Wednesday, including the following counties: Anne Arundel, Howard, Carroll, Baltimore, Baltimore City, Harford, and Cecil counties. The combination of scorching temperatures and soupy humidity will lead to dangerously hot conditions with feels like temperatures quickly spiking between 100° to 108° from late morning through the dinner hour. The Orioles home game early Wednesday afternoon will be stifling hot. First pitch against the Blue Jays will take place at 12:35 p.m.. Temperatures throughout the game will be in the middle 90s with the heat index in the seats ranging from 105° to 110°. Please wear adequate sun protection including sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, and drink plenty of water. A few isolated afternoon and evening strong thunderstorms are possible this afternoon, but they should remain sparse in coverage. More places than not will stay dry and scorching hot today. Thursday will feature the last day of hot and steamy air across Maryland. If the heat wave doesn't end Wednesday it will come to an end Thursday after the storms pass through the area. The hottest temperatures Thursday will be felt during the morning and midday hours. The heat index will reach between 95° to 105° by late morning through early afternoon. Please stay hydrated and dress in light weight, light colored clothing. We'll see partly sunny skies, hazy, and tropical conditions through lunchtime. Scattered to numerous strong to severe thunderstorms will develop as early as lunchtime Thursday and continue through 9 p.m. There will likely be a few clusters of strong to severe storms from early afternoon through early evening. The greatest risk from these storms will be copious amounts of cloud to ground lightning, strong to locally damaging winds, and blinding downpours. Storms will be capable of producing 1 to 2 inches of rain in just a half hour! So flash flooding, downed trees and tree limbs, and travel disruptions are possible during the afternoon and evening commute time period. Stay with the WJZ First Alert Weather Team for updates on any flood and/or severe weather watches and warnings Thursday. Clouds, scattered showers, and high humidity levels will be around Friday morning. While the humidity will still be running at very high levels, the clouds and showers will put an end to the heat. By Friday afternoon, showers should continue to taper off with some late day breaks in the clouds possible. High temperatures Friday will only top out in the middle to upper 70s. The first weekend of the new month of August looks to bring a welcome break from the heat and humidity. Overnight lows will drop into the 50s and 60s. Expect sunny skies both Saturday and Sunday. Afternoon highs will be extremely pleasant, topping out in the upper 70s to low 80s. Humidity levels will fall to some of the lowest levels of the entire summer so far! The weather looks spectacular from the mountains of western Maryland to the beaches along the Atlantic Ocean. Go ahead and make your outdoor plans now! Looking ahead, warmer and more humid conditions are likely to return early next week. A few showers are possible for Eastern Shore communities Monday afternoon, with better rain chances and a more summer-like feel returning statewide by Wednesday.
CBS News
17 hours ago
- Health
- CBS News
Maryland man celebrates 100th blood donation: "It's a good feeling"
A Maryland man has donated blood 100 times, saving an estimated 300 lives. Stuart Schmidt Sr., from Anne Arundel County, said he started donating blood 45 years ago when his son Stuart Jr. was born. The younger Stuart needed blood when he was born, prompting the elder to start his life-saving journey. "My son needed blood when he was born, and they were going to charge me a great deal of money," Stuart Schmidt Sr. told WJZ. Back then, donating blood could count as a credit toward the newborn's hospital bill. But now, Schmidt Sr. said donating blood is the "most rewarding thing that I talk about." Schmidt Sr. said it's his lifelong mission to donate blood as often as possible. He learned that each donation could save up to three lives. "It's a good feeling," Schmidt said. "I look forward to giving all the time." Once Schmidt Sr. started working for Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE), which hosts multiple Red Cross Blood Drives each year, he made sure to donate as often as he could. "I hate missing a turn," Schmidt Sr. said. Schmidt's children and grandchildren joined him to celebrate the 100-donation milestone. "For him, it was just a way to give back to the community and to help so many more people," Schmidt Jr. said. "They know him here, they're familiar with him, he's kind of like a living legend." Schmidt Sr. has donated 100 pints of blood, that's 12 and a half gallons, which is enough to help up to 300 people, and he doesn't plan on stopping any time soon. He says he hopes this accomplishment inspires others to donate blood. "It's pretty special because I try to lead by example with everything I do for my kids and my grandkids, and it seems to work," Schmidt Sr. said.
CBS News
2 days ago
- CBS News
Video shows chaos amid Baltimore's Federal Hill shooting
Video obtained by WJZ shows people running away as seven gunshots were fired early Sunday in Baltimore's Federal Hill, which left a woman injured. Police said a 39-year-old woman was shot multiple times shortly after midnight in the 1000 block of S. Charles Street. She was stable at the hospital. A person of interest is in custody, according to police. Tips can be reported to Southern District Shooting detectives at 410-396-2499 or anonymously through the Metro Crime Stoppers tipline: 866-7LockUp. Security video from a Federal Hill business shows people dispersing as gunfire is heard in the background. A nearby restaurant employee described the chaotic scene. "I was packing up stuff, and I heard some gunshot[s] and then when I looked up, people just ran," said the employee, who wanted to stay anonymous. The employee told WJZ he's seen violence like this before. "When something like that happened, it made me a little bit nervous and a little bit worried because I do work here late, and I leave it late too," the employee said. "Sometimes it's like shocking and a little scary. I've been here for about five years already, so I'm used to it. When I see a lot of people, it is just another working day." The employee said the business doesn't want repeated violence in the area, but it doesn't want crime to deter customers from visiting. "We enjoy having people come in here, but stuff like this may scare people away," the employee said. "Everybody, calm down and stay safe." As WJZ has reported, recent crime in the area has been the epicenter of concern for both residents and businesses in the neighborhood. Just down the street, a man was beaten with a broomstick and left with a severe injury to his eye in the fall of 2024. In September of 2024, a 24-year-old man was shot and killed near Mugshots Bar & Grill on E. Cross Street. Earlier this month, Baltimore police said more than 60 vehicles and several businesses were damaged by vandals. The break-ins happened in the unit block and 200 block of East Montgomery Street, the 600 block of South Charles Street, and the 600 block of Washington Boulevard near Camden Yards. Surveillance video from the Federal Hill Cleaners on Charles Street showed the front glass door being shattered on July 13.
CBS News
3 days ago
- Climate
- CBS News
Alert Day Sunday for high heat and potentially strong storms
A few storms early on Sunday morning may have woken you up before the sun on Sunday morning. Once those storms moved out, it was a foggy and dreary start to the day for many neighborhoods. We may not see as much sunshine to end the weekend as we did on Saturday but it will be just as hot. High temperatures will return to near 90° and some will peak in the mid-90s this afternoon. Humidity continues to run high, which will make it feel like up to 105° during the afternoon. With it being another hot day and the risk for strong storms, Sunday is another WJZ Weather Alert Day. The storm threat increases this afternoon (a few spot showers may move through during the morning). Any storms could produce strong winds, heavy rain and lightning. Things are expected to quiet down after sunset for a dry night. High heat continues through much of the next week. A midweek cold front fires off more storms on Wednesday and Thursday. A much more comfortable pattern sets in behind that front on Friday to start August and into the first weekend of the new month.
CBS News
4 days ago
- Climate
- CBS News
Pair of Alert Days for Heat and Storms this Weekend
Welcome to the weekend! As we're going into the final days of July, it'll certainly feel like summer across Maryland. High temperatures will peak in the low 90s, which isn't out of the ordinary for this time of year however, as we've said many times this summer so far, the humidity will make the heat so much worse. Continued elevated humidity combined with 90+° temperatures AND a chance for stronger storms have today and Sunday marked as WJZ First Alert Weather days. Feels like temperatures approach (and some areas will feel over) 100° during the afternoons on both Saturday and Sunday. As you may expect on a July afternoon, we also have potential for storms to develop. A warm front will be moving in today and briefly stall nearby, keeping the chance for storms for Sunday. Isolated storms could be severe with damaging winds as the main severe threat. Any showers could also produce heavy rainfall. Once the front moves out, the weather quiets down for a couple of days. The temperatures will stay on the warm side and humidity stays high, as well. A mid- to late week cold front fires off a few storms on Wednesday and Thursday before more quiet weather for the end of the week. There will be a difference with the later set of drier days . . . temperatures and humidity both appear to drop substantially. The first few days of August appear to be comfortable with highs running below normal. Hang on for just a few days as better weather is on the way. The First Alert weather team will be keeping you updated every step of the way.
