National Weather Service Issues Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Washington Area on July 4

The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for parts of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia on Saturday afternoon, July 4, 2026, Washington Examiner reported. The warning, issued at 2:15 p.m. Eastern Time, carried a severity rating of significant threat to life or property and remained in effect until 10:00 p.m.

A severe thunderstorm watch covered parts of the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia until 10:00 p.m. EDT. , on Friday and Saturday amid a record-setting heat wave that began earlier in the week.

Several events were canceled or delayed on Saturday due to the heat. President Donald Trump was scheduled to deliver a speech at approximately 10:00 p.m. commemorating the United States’s 250th Independence Day.

Citing approaching severe storms. The safety partners included Freedom 250, United States Secret Service, United States Park Police, National Park Service, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The National Weather Service stated that a front settling southward would bring showers and thunderstorms, some of which may become strong to severe with damaging wind gusts possible on the evening of July 4 and again on Sunday.

Thunderstorms could also produce heavy rainfall, with an increasing threat of repeating storms and flooding as the front slows and stalls across the region later in the weekend into early next week.