Summer Solstice 2012 Hits with Extreme Heat

The first day of summer, known as the summer solstice, begins at around 7 p.m. tonight. The weather in the capital region will be extremely hot according to a heat advisory issued last night by National Weather Service.

The temperature in the capital region will reach up to near 99 high today due to a one-day heat wave along with high pressure in the sky.

Patchy fog, hot and humid conditions are likely to happen, ushering in some of the hottest weather ever seen in the region since last year. It is likely that the record high temperature of 97 degrees will be broken.

And thunderstorm is not out of the question, given the intense amount of daytime heating. Precipitation will possibly visit the region late Thursday night onto Friday morning with the approach of cold front into the region. Tomorrow temperatures appear to be the above normal.

The weekend will likely bring back the normal temperature of this time of year due to the high pressure coming from Canada.

The summer solstice marks the longest day of the year, though not necessarily the hottest. Temperature is influenced by the mixture of atmosphere, land and oceans taking in part of the Sun's rays and releasing it at different rates, in light of the Farmer’s Almanac.

Below is the detailed, one-week forecast from the National Weather Service:

 Today: Sunny and hot, with a high near 96. Calm wind becoming west northwest between 5 and 8 mph.
 Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 56. Southwest wind between 7 and 10 mph.
 Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 80. South southwest wind between 13 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
 Thursday night: Increasing clouds, with a low around 55. South southwest wind between 13 and 16 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.
 Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 79. South southwest wind around 9 mph.
 Friday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 55.
 Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 77.
 Saturday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 53.
 Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 79.
 Sunday night: Clear, with a low around 53.
 Monday: Sunny, with a high near 80.
 Monday night: Clear, with a low around 55.
 Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 85.