contests, this has been a very busy day. nancy: it hayohe everything. if you are heading to the fireworks we have what you need to know before you walk out the door. alison: we have team coverage for you today of tonight's packed schedule in the nation's capital. we'll get out to the national mall in a moment but let's start with the biggest question of the hour. what's in store for weather? let's ask our meteorologist josh knight. hey, josh. josh: hey, guys. for a lot of us we are starting to fire up showers, a few thunderstorms. we haven't seen a lot of lightning for this. the chance of rain will stick and for the next few hours. we are dry at the national harbor but there are darker clouds in the distance. let's work our way here and show you what is going on with satellite and radar. a nice zoomed in shot. there is speckling of rain popping up in the region. a lot of us are still dry. where we have the rain, some of it is heavy. they don't last long and i

lightning. but right now east of chantilly to vi downpours. one here near langdon. we get south of cherry hill. bowie is dealing with rain as well. there are many more of us that are dry than places dealing with the rain but the chance will stick around for the next few hours. let's run through the future cast. it's doing what is happening on radar now. just a few areas where we have a few heavy downpours but that is it. we fast forward 5:00 to 6:30. a few are still with us. but i want to point out as we get later in the evening everything starts to break down. by 8:00 through about 10:00, really not a lot showing up. so just in time for fireworks, the trend is we all dry out. barbecuing, you are still dealing with chance of spotty showers. 90 at 4:00.

look ahead to the fireworks forecast we will be in the humid. but most of rus not going to deal with -- most of us are not going to have to deal with the thunderstorms. we have a very wet end to the week. we talk about that and improving weekend forecast. we'll talk about that in a bit. jonathan: josh, thank you. if you were out today, all kind of things to take advantage of. great day on the national mall. started with the parade. entertainment goes on all day long and of course fireworks tonight. nancy: a big night. thousands are in the nation's capital to celebrate america's birthday. alison: and q mccray is out there on the national mall among the growing crowds. hey, q. how is it going out there? q: it's going just fine. you mentioned the crowds. they are out here now. we are on the national mall. we'll just pan. we are next to the washington monument. say hello, everybody! all right. happy fourth of july to each and every one of you. there are a lot of people out here right now. they are all enjoying their day off. they were all here, the majority of

morning's parade. take a look. the national fourth of july parade stdidn't disappoint. bands from all over the country marched the one-mile route down constitution avenue. from the floats to the patriotic balloons, the parade had something for everyone. tens of thousands lined the street from all over the world, some from as far away as colombia. but most, americans. >> this is my first american parade. it's awesome. yeah, everything is so cool. >> it's awesome. a little warm but it's awesome. that's okay. texas is hot, too. q: the parade was scheduled to finish at 2:00 p.m. and that is exactly what happened. a couple of blocks from the white house, this cool shower waited for the hundreds of participants at the end of the route. that's what happened. >> happy fourth of july, everyone. q: i could ask anybody here if they are enjoying the day. the answer will be yes. who wou

it's nice and warm outside. i also asked people what the significance of the day is to them. you will hear their responses coming up an hour's time. stick around for that. reporting live from the national mall, i'm q mccray, abc7 news. jonathan: thank you very much. good news for nation's capital. the nats beating up on the mets. it wasn't even close. 11-4. it wasn't the only excitement. performance from the golden knights and the world famous rockettes. they were kicking it up. those are not the rockettes. little ones. they are the future rockettes. the rockettes were on the dugout kicking as well. every time i say "rockettes" we are showing these little girls. what is up with that? alison: that is cute. from the biggest crowds at the game and at the national mall to small town parades. of course, the number one priority everywhere today is safety. nancy: law enforcement agencies throughout the d.c.

every event secure. richard reeve live with the measures being taken today. rich? richard: safety and security ramped up for independence day. take a look at this. you don't see this every day. at 23rd and constitution, metrobuses used to block any vehicle that might want to come through. you have to go through the access point to get to the national mall tonight. we'll back pedal and you can see the park police. we have national guard people out here to check and make sure that the intersections are secure. law enforcement agencies not revealing specific changes to the plans this year but in the wake of the attacks in nice, france, and london where vehicles were used as weapons, we'll see a lot of intersections blocked off. at 14th and independent, for example, there is only pedestrian access to get closer to the mall. it's

closures and b tot saying it con but you never know. stay local is good. richard: some of the usual access points like the 14th street bridge, the 12 street tunnel. those are closed down now. so you will have to walk or take metro to get into downtown. coming up at 5:00, how small towns and this major city we live in are dealing with the security issue. reporting live, richard reeve, abc7 news. nancy: thank you, rich. of course, you are ready for the fireworks tonight but how are you getting there? walking, biking, taking metro are the best bets if you are heading to and from the national mall. the rails will be open until midnight.

sexual abuse. these parents now calling for more answers from school officials. what did they know and when? >> my husband was very shocked and actually wanted to meet again with the principal once school started. nathan: charles county school officials saying they removed bell from the classroom as soon as suspicion about sexual activity with students appeared last december. now we talked to police earlier today. they say they are still investigating this case and they still need your help. if your child has any information, there is a hot line set up. we have the hotline on the website wjla.com. re

nathan baca, abc7 news. alison: all right, nathan. thank you very much. enough developments now. it appears north korea launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile. now if this is true, it is a sign the missile could have the range to reach the united states. we have global reaction coming in today. reporter: maybe marking a milestone. images showing north koreans clapping and cheering on the heels of the latest missile launch. the regime claims it's the 11th so far this year. and u.s. officials have confirmed its north korea's first intercontinental ballistic missile launch ever, one that could reach alaska. >> this is a very worrying development. reporter: officials said they had been anticipating a north korean launch and the latest signifies the rogue nuclear power can fire its missile on short notice. only adding to the escalating tensions between the u.s. and north korea. russian and chinese leaders are suggti

moratorium on any more missile launches in exchange for the u.s. and south korea holding off on large-scale military drills. analysts say it's important not to overestimate the threat of north korea, adding the regime doesn't want to see war on the korean peninsula. >> there can only be one outcome with a war. it is not something it wants to see. reporter: for months trump tried to get china, north korea's most important ally to intervene and help deescalate the situation but so far it hasn't slowed the missile tests. abc news, washington. nancy: tomorrow, president trump heads to europe for the g20 summit. among the leaders at the summit is russian president vladimir putin. syria is at the top of the agenda as well as russia's military action in ukraine. no word if they will talk about russian interference in the u.s. presidential election.

"abc7 news at 4:00" -- they are credited with stopping a complete massacre. but today, special honors for the capitol police officers who fired back after being shot during last month's ballpark ambush. plus -- >> after this intense town home fire, what fire officials now want you to know ahead of your cookouts tonight on this independence day. the story coming up. >> and two wheels are sometimes better than four. at least here in takoma park. i'm kevin lewis. i'll explain why when "ab

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jonathan: tonight a deadly train crash. police are trying to figure out how a utility truck ended up on the tracks in beltsville where there is no crossing. the work truck hit by a c.s.x. freight train before dawn killing the driver. this follows last week's accident be two c.s.x. workers were killed by an amtrak train out on if tracks working. alison: also developing in prince george's county right now. police are trying to pieces to clues in the death of a man in capitol heights. they found him in the 800 block of kayak avenue this morning with trauma to his body. police are asking anyone with information to give them a call. jonathan: heart-breaking frightening scene. fire ripping through a gaithersburg townhouse last night. several families le

alison: we now know the fire is being blamed on an outdoor grill. nancy: brianne carter has more on the story as the firefighters are working to prevent another tragedy. brianne: the firefighters back out in the town home community today after this happened. a town home fire that started on the back and quickly moved through the home. firefighters making sure homes not only have smoke detectives but ones that have update -- not only have smoke detectors but ones with updated batteries and ones that are properly working. take a look at the fast-moving fire that started on the outside, on the deck of the townhome here. fire officials say they believe the misuse of a grill is to blame. fire officials tell abc7 charcoal was used in a propane grill. tonight as many are gathering for barbecues and get-togethers, fire officials here in montgomery county are urging people cooking out to take every precaution, including having a clear space around the grill. >> have a

bucket of water or fire extinguisher nearby in the event that something does occur. keep it away from any kind of siding. we prefer you don't cook it on the deck but if you do make sure it's in an area far away from the home. not here an overhang or next to the siding. brianne: we went along as the firefighters went door to door talking to residents here. what they found coming up tonight at 5:00. in gaithersburg, brianne carter, abc7 news. jonathan: "7 on your side" now with consumer headlines. this holiday it seems we will be shelling out serious cash for the fourth. the national retail federation predicts americans will spend $7.1 billion on food for fourth of july cookouts and picnics. good food. 65% of people own an american flag. 53% have stars and stripes on things like t-shirts, bathing suits and more. maybe a belt. researchers expect 28% to go out and buy a patriotic item. alison: nancy has a scarf. jonathan: josh has the belt. alison: another thing to note here.

year. gas has not been this cheap in a long time. a.a.a. says it's been 12 years since gas prices have been this low for the fourth. the national average for gallon of regular is $2.23. that is down 15 cents from a month ago. but one analyst says crude oil prices are starting to creep back up and, of course, gas prices will follow. jonathan: okay. we have hit on a lot of holiday traditions today so we can't leave out the one that either turns your stomach or makes you want to throw up. the eating contests. alison: yeah. for that we have to go to coney island, new york, and nathan's hot dog eating contest. nancy: yum! a lot of familiar faces there. look at the guy go. jonathan: that is joey chestnut. looks like he will explode. alison: on the men's side, nine-time champion joey es

best. winning again. listen to this. he set a record. 72 hot dogs and buns. jonathan: iron gut chestnut. that is insane. how dehunt explode i don't know -- how he doesn't explode i don't know. nancy: i love they give him a belt after he wins. like in wrestling. jonathan: it's always the skinny ones that can pack away the serious hot dogs. i don't get it. nancy: i wouldn't want to be near him the rest of the day. jonathan: no, no. give it a week. nancy: gross. josh: it's like real athletic competition. jonathan: that is why -- nancy: they train for it. jonathan: that is why people watch. they are waiting for someone to have a problem. josh: like a car race. nancy: we'll enjoy the burgers today. jonathan: one at a time. nancy: not like that. josh: right. take it nice and slow. dealing with scattered showers. in general, there is nothing severe. not talking about that. but just enough rain to be a

shot here from nats park throughout the day. we are hanging on to one of the showers. if you look in the distance, when it comes to an end. you can see the rain shaft that works its way in the area. that is one of the little showers we are talking about. still dry right now downtown. but you see here in the distance it looks like the cloud is touching to the ground. that is the actual rainfall we can see from the higher vantage point. 92 is what it feels like in d.c. 97 for leesburg. 93 in culpeper. it's hot and muggy. that is the weather story for us throughout the rest of the afternoon and into the evening. now we are starting to see more of the spotty showers. so once again there is a lot more dry area on our map than there is rain. but, of course, some of the rain showers are coming down heavy enough to damper your barbecue or your picnic or if you are having a rooftop party. that is where you start to run into issues. light showers. you can see lanham with one light shower, north of clinton. working our ware farther

farther west, this one is getting ready to track to the mall. you can see light rain on the outside of the beltway as well. see if we can zoom in closer to the shower to see where we are talking about. that rain is just about to cross the river. cherrydale, 66, getting the showers. once again the folks who have been setting up for the fireworks and things like that on the mall, this is what i was talking about yesterday. just a chance you will get a quick light shower to move through the area. run through the future cast quickly. i want to show you spotty it is. heavy downpours are wrapped up in there. but still, the good news is we get to 9:00, 9:30, there is less rain on the map. in general what we look for is for most of this to fizzle out. we fast forward to 2:00. if you are out late tonight the showers will move back in the picture. we have a wet next few days. throughout the rest of the day, the temperatures are working down to the low 80's by 9:00. again, a chance for a few thunderstorms right around fireworks time. but most of the area is dry. wednesday, thursday, and

the umbrella. so work our way back to work just a three-day work week. but you are going to have to deal with some wet weather. that is with us for wednesday, thursday, friday. by saturday, just a slim chance for a thunderstorm. things start to get much better for us by saturday afternoon. sunday, mid-80's. a really nice day but it's summary working back to next week. alison: thank you. still ahead today, canceling the fourth of july? one city shutting down all of their celebrations due to a threat. nancy: plus, the water is a popular playground this holiday. but there is an important message when it comes to boating safety. jonathan: out west dozens of wildfires are right now burning. the challenges that firefighters are facing. we take you there up next.

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jonathan: the fourth of july traditions are going on all over the country today. nancy: a busy day. it culminates in huge fireworks displays. alison: new york city's mayor says today they are very prepared. dozens of law enforcement agencies are all involved here to make sure that celebrations are safe. visitors say they are looking out for each other. >> everybody cares about each other. they are kind to each other. everybody is here for the same reason. to have a good time. alison: so the statement echoed tonight in all major cities if you see something suspicious, speak up. nancy: while many

july, others are enjoying the holiday on a boat. but with that comes safety concerns. we just found out police arrested 13 people this holiday weekend for drinking while boating. john gonzalez is on the potomac with an alert. john: we are now in the nation's capital picking out the spot for tonight's fireworks. thousands will do the same. you have barbecues, picnics, nationals baseball. the crowds on the national mall. but thousands will also be on boats. that is the beauty about our city, that we can do that. natural resources, police and the u.s. coast guard will also be out aggressively making sure everyone is having a good time but also playing nice, following by the rules. there are a lot of rules and laws. first, make sure you have life jackets. this is very important. resources police want you to have it on, in fact. it's not the law. you just have to have it on the boat at all times.

children do have to have the life jackets on at all times. we are getting waves. i don't know if you notice that. you want to be mindful of your wake today if you are coming to the national mall. we are it the mouth of the washington channel. anacostia on one side and the potomac on the other. this is a no-wake zone so be mindful of that. one-third of deaths on boats are alcohol related. 70% of victims are not wearing life vests. remember, no dangling off the bow of the boat. it's against the law. the idea tonight is to have a great time. celebrate america. but be responsible. happy fourth of july, everybody. john gonzalez, abc7 news. nancy: on that note to give you an idea how heavy the boating traffic is. get this. maryland's natural resources police tweeted this image today. they say there are more than 1,200 boats in the main chesapeake bay thoroughfare this afternoon. this is an

more people will be joining them as the night goes on. jonathan: still ahead at 4:00 -- >> your actions speak to the very patriotism that brought about the birth of this country. jonathan: some very brave officers honored for stopping the ballpark ambush in alexandria. the moving ceremony. we'll have it for you coming up. alison: ahead new at 5:00, this is hard to believe. swarmed by a mob of monkeys. a family's plea after a visit to a florida park left them scrambling to escape primates. that's when i return at "abc7 news at 5:00". ♪

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announcer: you're watching "abc7 news at 4:00". on your side. jonathan: they define courageous. no question. the actions stopped a massacre. nancy: on the special holiday, a special honor. two capitol police officers recognized for their bravery when a gunman opened fire at a congressional baseball practice. jeff goldberg with their stories. jeff: smiling and walking slowly in the congressional cemetery in d.c., u.s. capitol police special agent david bailey greeted with gratitude at every turn. >> your action speak to the patriotism that brought about

jeff: bailey and crystal griner who could not attend today receiving the law enforcement do mennation medal from the d.c. -- comennation of medal of d.c. society of sons of the revolution. they were both injured at simpson stadium park in alexandria last month where louisiana congressman steve scalise and five others were injured. the officers are credited risking their own lives while saving the lives of others. >> greatly honored to be here. thank you for the award. thank you. >> following the ceremony, agent bailey shaking hands offer thanks, including those with ties to the shooting. >> one of my best friends was playing second base. thank god you were there. >> the heroic efforts of bailey and griner inspiring others to stop and show the appreciation

>> the police work hard and they deserve our thanks for the service. >> congressman steve scalise remains in the hospital as he continues to recover from the injuries suffered in the shooting. in southeast washington, jeff goldberg, abc7 news. michelle: a well-deserved honor. bicycles could save your life in takoma park. they are not just any bikes but we show you how they are outfitted to give you help fast. >> we have lights and sirens. >> they celebrated day one of the e.m.t. bicycle unit. >> these are the two bikes that we have. >> they are designed to offer as a team, a pair. >> they each cost a smidge over $2,000. >> more substantial bandaging. >> stocked with bandages, ice

defibrillator. today's fourth of july parade in downtown takoma park was the first assignment. but expect to see them at the future city parade, street festivals and the road races. >> if there is a cold dispatch in area we feel we can get there first, we will get on the radio, tell the county we are responding to that call. we will be there before the ambulance arrives. >> residents in the nuclear free city support the idea. >> it's a resourceful way, creative way to get medics where they need to be quickly. >> you don't always need the whole truck for what is going on. i'm in favor of anything that gets more bikes instead of the motorized vehicles on the road. >> despite today's considerable heat and humidity, no one needed medical assistance along the parade route. th

at the takoma park fire department, i'm kevin lewis, abc7 news. jonathan: back now in the weather center. the heat we have had, you can't under estimate it. there were folks at the water park with problems and needed help with the e.m.t.'s. this is a good reminder to stay hydrated when it's this hot outside. josh: especially today. there wasn't a lot of sunshine. but it feels like it's in the mid-90's. the rain is moving in that way as well. let's talk about the feels like temperatures. numbers for you that are in the mid-90's for leesburg. feels like 97. not that hot for everybody. d.c. feels like 92. mid-80's in reston. look at the showers now. the good news, most of this will fizzle out for us getting closer to 9:00, just in time for fireworks. starting off farther north there are heavie

hagerstown. we are drive 270 to town. as we work our way to d.c., around the bailey crossroads, coming down 7 to 395. there are heavier downpours and now there are light showers in the district. we will zoom in closer. so for folks on the national mall, they are getting a light shower. it does extend east across d.c. so there is nothing heavy downtown. but the chance is still with us until 7:00. after that we look for things to dry out. temperature wise around 5:00, we have 90 degrees for you. still hanging on to a chance of a few showers. 89 at 7:00. in the low 80's by 11:00. there is still a slim chance for isolated thunderstorm for us around fireworks time. but most areas close to d.c. are dry. the farther north and west you are watching the fireworks. closer to winchester and the areas like that, we will se

better chance of a lingering thunderstorms. jump ahead to the coming weekend, it's nice for us. by saturday, 88 degrees. a stray chance for a thunderstorm. it still looks like a nice day. sunday even better. lower humidity. the temperatures topping out in the mid-80's. so, a little bit of an unsettled week to get back to after the holiday. you can look forward to a much sunnier weekend. i have a look at all ten days in ten minutes. jonathan: all right, josh. we will see you then. we talked about it a second ago. heat was too much for some at the water park in montgomery county today. they had an ambulance there. when several people overcome by the sticky humid weather. we are told it wasn't serious but a reminder to pay attention, find ways to cool off. stay out of the sun if you can. and also do stay hydrated when it gets this hot. michelle: president trump spending his july 4th at the white house. he started off with a round of

celebration for veterans. vice president mike pence was in michigan for the granville city parade. it was a brief trip for him. he is expected to be in the district this evening. nancy: stay up to date with the traffic and weather as you head to see the fireworks. turn to abc7 on air and online at wjla.com. jonathan: there will be no fireworks celebration in a north carolina town tonight. this is due to the threats of violence. the city of hamlet is scrapping all the celebrations they had planned. police say it's because of credible threats of retaliation linked to a shooting death last week. the city's manager says the fourth of july events will not be rescheduled. nancy: this next story is hard to believe. a man convicted in a u.k. knife attack released from prison years early because of a clerical error. dodd was sentenced to nine years behind bars but the courtroom staff, get this, misheard the judge and wrote down nine months instead of nine years. so now he is out.

him. michelle: almost 30 wildfires are burning right now. and all of them are out west. the flames are roaring from arizona to washington state. many of these wildfires have put up a tough front for firefighters to knock them down. extreme heat and dry conditions aren't making it any easier. some communities canceled the july fourth fireworks. like this one in arizona where a fire started under the display. jonathan: still ahead for us at "abc7 news at 4:00" -- the saga some call beach-gate. the new jersey beaches are back over for everybody but the controversy over the governor chris christie using them when they were closed isn't. the latest straight ahead. michelle: back at home, whether you are cooking out, hitting the pool or heading to the national mall for fireworks, we are tracking the weather every step of the way. stormwatch forecast updates throughout the night on abc7.

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ent. ♪ ♪ we deliver super-fast internet with speeds of 250 megabits per second across our entire network, to more companies, in more locations, than fios. we do business where you do business. ♪ ♪ jonathan: new jersey's state run beaches and parks are back open. budget stalemate forced them to resolve but it was resolved last night. nancy: social media continues to have a field day with what they are calling "beach gate." michelle: pictures emerged showing the new jersey governor and his family on a state beach closed to the

abc's elizabeth hur has details. elizabeth: memes of lounging chris christie features scenes sparked a trending #beachgate. after a local newspaper on sunday captured pictures of governor christie and his family on a beach he ordered closed to the public as part of a government shutdown. hours after the pictures were taken, the had this exchange at -- the governor had this exchange at a news conference. >> i didn't get any sun. >> he later issued clarification saying christie did not get any sun because he had a baseball cap on. not everyone bought that story. >> you can go to the beach and regular people can't? >> he is going out with this bang now? elizabeth: the outgoing governor is america's least popular governor with a poll showing his approval rating at just 15%. but he remains defiant. even with om

this banner over the jersey shore. >> if they had flown that plane over that beach and i was sitting next to a 25-year-old blonde in the beach chair next to me that is a story. in the end, this is resolved and the changes we made is what people will remember. not some of the, you know, b.s. kind of gotcha journalism. >> governor christie maintains this is nothing but a media-driven scandal adding that the beach house where he stayed, this is a state-owned property and he has the right to be there whenever he wants to be there. elizabeth hur, abc news, new york. jonathan: all right. still ahead for us at "abc7 news at 4:00" -- as we count down the fireworks, take a look at the light show. nasa out with new images of the northern lights. they are gorgeous. michelle: they couldn't wait. which city kicks off the fourth of july parade at midnight. their celebration next.

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michelle: wanted to show you stunning video out of china. nancy: this man rescued right

floodwaters. very dramatic video. you can see him hanging on to a rope. he was eventually pulled to safety. jonathan: thank goodness. china have been seeing devastating floods of late. dozens have been killed and tens of thousands have been forced out of their homes. look at that. michelle: a lot of teamwork to make it a success. glad he is okay. it's not time for fireworks quite yet but mother nature is putting on a light show of her own. nancy: gorgeous. nasa releasing the time-lapse images of the northern lights. jonathan: taken from the expedition to the international space station. a great view. normally when you see the northern lights it's a sliver or a strip but this looks like a huge swath. michelle: imagine that in imax theater. jonathan: hopefully they will do it in the future. that would be nice to see. nancy: we have our own lights in the sky today, later tonight. in gatlinburg, tennessee, they got a head start. a little over 16 thundershowers -- 16 hours ago

midnight parade at 12:01 a.m. jonathan: fun tradition. nancy: i like it. drink coffee beforehand. this year it holds a special meaning, honoring the more than 3,500 first responders who came to help during november's wildfires as grand marshals of the parade. >> what was your favorite part of the parade? >> the corps. my 38th year here. her 11th year. nancy: all the tourists there as a good sign as they try to move past the fires. it's nice to see them there. michelle: for a small time like that, that is a huge deal. nancy: it is. michelle: many are raising a glass tonight to celebrate the holiday. they say red, white and blue. a little alcohol, too. nancy: i never heard it before. i'm on board. there is a little bit of shock over the cost of one particular type of alcohol. jonathan: i enjoy tequila. this te

taste. $30,000 for a bottle. it's part of a surge in luxury tequila hitting the market. in a hand painted ceramic decanter. u.s. sales of the high end tequila surged 67% in the past decade. true aficionados will tell you you don't have to spend a ton for great tequila. michelle: how much would it cost if you bring your own tequila and fill it up. check in with kimberly suiters in the newsroom with a look at what is coming up new at "abc7 news at 5:00". hi, kim. kimberly: we are not having as much fun as you are having. ahead at 5:00, the special look at the hottest ticket in town today and why director says july 4th is the super bowl. plus a sign that is turning heads. here is why. the group behind the sign that reads "jesus loves

how they are using it to boost charity. meet the very newest american citizen who can finally vote for his boss for the first time. that and much more on this fourth of july forecast when i join alison at 5:00. back to you. michelle: thank you. jonathan: take a serious turn here. now we have a thunderstorm warning. the last thing we need on the fourth of july. josh, we need the skies to get cleared out of hear by 9:00 to have a good fireworks show. josh: i think by getting started now that is what will happen. we get later in the evening, a lot more of these fizzle out. there is rain moving through d.c. but this severe thunderstorm warning outside of hagerstown. so washington county and working through frederick county. let me zoom in close. there is not a lot of lightning with this. just showing two lightning bolts there. you can see the thunderstorm. it's driving down south to east at 35 miles per hour. what could we see out of this? wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour. quarter size hail. hail is an inch. not out of the question.

by 5:04. cloverhill 5:25. 5:28 getting down to frederick. so the warning officially until 5:30. the only warning we have. also tracking some rain right around d.c. you can see the heavy downpours. not as robust of a thunderstorm. i want to move in closer to see where this is coming down. still bailey's crossroads is the same area. these are really slow movers. so dumping some heavy rain across part of 66. along 50. a few light showers for us in the district. we move farther north. you can see light showers around wheaton, bethesda, get to howard county and to laurel, hanging on light rain as well. that is what most of us will see. the quick hit and miss showers. a lot of them aren't moving too much so they have to rain themselves out. that is what is happening to the one there hanging closer to fairfax in arlington. run throughout the rest of the night. at 10:00, it's isolated. getting c

time, most of it fizzles out. overnight we have more rain. check out wednesday. a lot of cloud cover. not a pretty day. we will hang on to the rain. better chance the farther west you live especially over toward the i-81 corridor but i still think we get rain around d.c. as well. fast forward to the fireworks. 8:00 at 83 degrees. then again, isolated thunderstorm is possible. but i think more and more of us are going to be drying out by then. still warm and very muggy. a quick look ahead on all ten days. we will go 85 tomorrow. 86 on thursday. 90 on friday. keep in mind the three days will be wet. but we pay our dues. just in time for the weekend. back to sunshine. temperatures are heading to the mid-80's, the lower humidity. we are also going to be returning back to summer as we work our way to next week. we'll be right back.

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jonathan: riders may see fewer trains at the station if congress approves president trump's budget cuts. even with the cuts, amtrak, the company running passenger trains in the u.s. loses millions of dollars every year. now we look to the future of american train travel.

reporter: it's all aboard to the next train to new york city. one of 300 trains that roll the rails of america every day. >> i think it's convenient. i think it's safe. >> a lot less stressful. you don't have to worry about traffic jams or parking. reporter: but trains if a down side. we looked at a trip from washington, d.c., to orlando for july 3. amtrak's ticket is about $40 cheaper than a flight. but more than 15 hours longer. and operating those rails is expensive. amtrak runs passenger rail in the u.s. it's a private company dependent on more than $1 billion in federal grants. we asked the heritage foundation, a conservative think tank if amtrak's economic structure works. >> i think what we have seen is by and large no. reporter: in fiscal year 2016, amtrak says more than 31 people rode the trains, setting a record in ticket sales. but amtrak's

its earnings by more than $200 million. >> they are really bogged down by having to funnel resources to the long haul routes that very few people take that are costly to taxpayers. >> president trump's proposed budget cuts amtrak's routes in half for longer routes. amtrak says the cut would force them to end train service in 23 states. heritage says the private sector may better manage train travel in higher populated areas. like the northeast. >> i wouldn't say it's broken or needs to be fixed. reporter: andy says congress should reject cuts and increase train spending. >> if we invested in it, we'd have a great rail system. reporter: his group has 15-year plan to build high-speed rail throughout the country saying it's more reliable than driving. >> even at the height of rush hour and the holiday travel the trains are going 200 miles per hour.

competition to the airlines. >> the aviation industry deteriorated to the point they could care less about the customers. >> the problem with a rail is it's fixed guideway and hard to get people to the end destination. reporter: what rail experts can agree on is cuts to amtrak probably won't happen this year if congress moves to a mid-term election. many congressmen don't want to lose train service in their district. >> we have been hearing that for decades. announcer: now, "abc7 news at 5:00". on your side. >> i know this is about freedom but still. this is about safety. kimberly: right now at 5:00 -- alison: parades for freedom under heavy guard. the new normal as the area celebrates founding of a nation and prepares for a night of fireworks. right now we are four hours from the start of the fireworks there on the national mall. kimberly: but all day long the area celebrated the fourth of

our q mccray and richard reeve will join us with the highlights and what to expect next. first, though, this hot summer day has a chance of ending with rain on our parade. say it isn't so. stormwatch7 meteorologist steve rudin tracking severe weather. steve, you promised. steve: i know! we talked about this in the stormwatch7 weather center for the last couple of days. the possibility, or the potential of stronger thunderstorms in the afternoon and early everything hours. that is exactly what is happening. looking out right now from national harbor, this is the camera. the rain has yet to arrive there. however, there is a cell that you can see in the background. that is what is about to move across the district. talk about the severe thunderstorm out there. the severe thunderstorm warning right now for washington and frederick county. in maryland, this is until 5:30. this storm is moving toward the south and the east at 35 miles per hour. capable of producing gusty winds and downpours. this is going to continue to move south and east.

going to see the storms move across your area heading through the next half hour or so. once again and gusty winds and the heavy downpours are the biggest risk with the storms. head closer to the d.c. area. a cluster over arlington moving east. this will pass across the national mall. a lot of folks are getting out early in presentation to find the best seat in house for the firework display set to start ten minutes after 9:00. this is on the way. gusty winds, brief heavy downpours. it won't last long but more than likely a lot of folks will get wet. we talk about what to expect in the fireworks time. plus looking ahead to the rest of the week and into the upcoming weekend coming up in a few minutes. alison: thank you. thousands of people packing the national mall hoping it will stay dry and they get a better view than last year. last year it was cloudy and drizzly