Dangerous heat closes Washington Monument in DC

Dangerous heat closed the Washington Monument, which lies in the heart of the nation’s capital, as the region experiences intense temperatures.

In an alert on its website, the National Park Service said the monument is not going to be open from Tuesday to Wednesday “due to extreme heat in the DC area.” 

“We apologize for any inconvenience,” the park service added.

On the National Weather Service’s (NWS) website, much of the Washington region appears to be facing an extreme heat warning. According to a Tuesday post on social platform X from the NWS forecast office for the Baltimore and Washington region, it could see temperatures topping 101 degrees Fahrenheit.

“DC expects extreme temperatures all week. Escape the heat at one of our cooling centers located throughout the city—a convenient way to cool off, rehydrate, and stay safe during this week’s high temps,” Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) said Tuesday in a post on X.

Beyond the Washington region, large portions of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast also appeared to be facing an extreme heat warning, with other states east of the Rockies also facing heat advisories.

“Extremely dangerous heat will persist from the Midwest to the East Coast as numerous daily record highs and very warm overnight lows are expected through Wednesday,” the NWS said Tuesday on X.