drink plenty of water. also keep an yay on the kids and older people who could suffer heat exhaustion without noticing the symptoms. if you have to work outside, like a lot of people do, use some common sense. >> i think it's important just to stay hydrated. the biggest thing. it's easy to get heat exhaustion if you don't drink. a lot of days it's the humidity more than the heat. and today i'd say it's the humidity as much as anything. the air feels heavy. >> that looks like fun. the lucky ones escaped to the nearest swimming hole today, but most of us can't do that. so baltimore has opened several cooling centers across the city. they will close at 7:00 tonight, and reopen tomorrow at 9 a.m. each center has air conditioning, water, and ice on hand. the city is also providing free bus service to help people reach a cooling center. and the heat is also slowing tonight's commute home. marc passengers have been told to expect delays on the camden and brunswick lines because of the hot weather. high temperatures can affect the rails and cause problems,

and delays are running about 15 minutes at this point. thou we just need to know when the heat will break. meteorologist susan schrack joins us with the first forecast. susan? >> thanks a lot. good evening, everyone. it's not gob to be in the next 48 hours. i'll give you that much already. we're under a heat advisory until 8:00 tonight for all the counties listed in orange, and that's most of them. in maryland a severe thunderstorm watch to pennsylvania to the north. temperatures right now are starting to cool down, believe it or not if you can all 87 and 88 and 91 cooler than where we saw things today. it's still 93 degrees in edgemere, but it is the humidity that is making it extra uncomfortable. it feels like 104 in rock hall. it feels like 96 in towson. it feels like 94 in moncton, and 98 in edgemere. that's going to continue that heat and humidity into tonight. 75 degrees is the low temperature we're expecting. warm and muggy. a couple of isolated thunderstorms are possible. most likely north of us, right towards the mason-dixon line.

we'll talk about how long this is going to last and your 2- degree guarantee, curve in just a couple minutes. there is turmoil across the country over plans to overhaul the nation's health care system. so-called town hall meet investigation turned into shouting matches as people sound off on the plan. >> can only handle so much -- [ yelling ] >> we've gotten e-mails from both sides saying the other side is wrong in the health care debate, and tonight that debate comes to towson. senator been carson says he knows exactly what he is facing tonight at towson university. the meeting starts at 7:00, but people have been gathering for quite a while. christian schaffer is there with the latest. christian, quite a turnout. >> reporter: yeah, marybeth. it's not clear what it's going to look like inside the town hall meeting, whether it's going to be as vocal as sam ofter other events. but it is certainly vocal outside. let me give you the lay of the land of the protesters. right down there, along ostler

are the people who come in support of president obama's reform of the nation's health care system. but as my photo journalist joe mccracken pans around, the crowd of people here against the plan is significantly larger than the people who are here for it. essentially, it's a complex plan there is no doubt about that. it involves several elements, including regulation which would prevent insurance companies from denying coverage. it includes mandates that individuals would be required to buy insurance and subsidies on businesses that they must buy insurance. but the biggest controversy is over the public option. it's a government-run health insurance plan that would the president says compete against the current private health insurers. opponents say that will drive private health insurers out of business. supporters of the president's plan, though, say that those insurers are part of the problem, and that this plan would force them to cut costs fireworks you have a biggest public health care program,

you're probably going to see some private health care companies feeling the competition and chaining some things. >> it's the government-run option, and it's the cost, and it's the price tag of this program that really is driving people out. and that's what people are upset about. >> reporter: senator cardin's town hall meeting begins in just under an hour. what you're looking at is a line of people waiting outside the center for the arts on towson university. the auditorium seats only 500 people. all those people in that line are not going get into the auditorium. so we're going to have to see if is there a little bit of a disturbance outside of all these people who have been waiting so long in the heat, because it's clear that they're not all going to get in. we'll see how that plays out. and once the event begins at 7:00, we'll see whether or not it is a more raucous event or as senator cardin expects, a more subdued discussion of the pros and cons of the president's health care plan. christian schaffer, abc 2 news.

>> pretty incredible to sow that many people out there in the heat. we caught up with senator cardin during a visit to baltimore's healthy start program he says there have been violent outbursts across the country. he is sure marylanders will keep their comments respectful. >> the vast majority of the people who want to attend town hall meetings, they want to get their points across and they want to get information. but there are a few who will try to disrupt it, and that's unfortunate because they take away from the rights of the majority. >> tonight's town hall will be moderated, and the senator says despite rumors, they will not be screening questions beforehand. the first nationwide vaccine trials of the h1n1 virus got started today at the university of maryland school of medicine. a total of 400 adults and seniors will get the vaccination. abc 2 news kelly swoope was there today as the first volunteers went through. kelly? >> reporter: marybeth, 67 adults were scheduled to go through today. another 67 tomorrow. while there are three studies that are actually takes place

across the nation for a vaccine, here in maryland they're focusing on what is the right dosage. first, volunteers were educated about the virus. then everyone was screened to make sure that they were healthy. two davis they get the shot, participants will have to report any adverse reactions to the vaccine to determine what, if any complications researchers can expect. >> so if there are any problems with having fevers with the vaccine, with having tenderness or swelling at the injection site, perhaps body aches or fatigue, those sorts of things with the vaccines. and we'll also be able to pick up whether there is any unusual adverse events such as say diarrhea or abdominal cramps. >> in my opinion, the risk seems pretty minimal. and like i said, the benefit could be pretty great. so it's worth it. >> reporter: you think it would be cool to be part of something larger? >> yes, definitely. the impact that this study could have on the country and

even the rest of the world is incredible to think of that. >> reporter: now after today's shots, volunteers will return in 21 days for a second dose. researchers say the study should be completed in about two weeks. participants will be watched closely, and if there are any major problems with the vaccine, they will begin the pediatric trials in eight to ten days. volunteers who paid $600 for their participation in the study. kelly swoope, abc 2 news. a 25-year-old baltimore man has been sentenced to three consecutive life sentences for killing a federal witness. darrin goods killed witness john dowry of thanksgiving 2006. two other people were sentenced to several life terms last month for the same crime. prosecutor says they committed the murder to protect their drug gang and intimidate potential witnesses. two robbery suspects took over a northeast baltimore home this afternoon, and tonight one suspect is under arrest. a second is on the run, and an elderly man who lived there is in the hospital. police say it started about

9:30 this morning when two men rob adbel heir road gas station, pistol-whipping the store employee before running away. they then ran into a home on nearby mary avenue, only to find a 94-year-old man living inside. police surrounded the home and sealed off the neighborhood for several hours, trying to negotiate with the suspects. >> we knew we had an armed suspect on the inside, and bringing that hostage out safely was the main priority. >> and the police directed me to come over here, and i got gas. and then i just stayed all day to watch what was going on. >> reporter: what did you see? >> all the s.w.a.t. teams, the police activity, the helicopter overhead. >> when negotiations failed, police used tear gas to flush out the suspects. but one of the men escaped in the confusion. the 94-year-old resident was not injured. he was taken to the hospital for a precautionary medical exam. police have not released the names of the suspects or the man who was in the house at the time. the reward has gone up to

$4,000 for information leading to an arrest in last month's liquor store robbery in baltimore county. the owner, 57junam kang was killed. the korean grocers and beverage association has offered an additional $2,000. store employees are also trying to raise more money. >> people should not be taking other people's lives. especially over a lousy couple bucks. that you're going get from a liquor store. >> when i came in this store, i never, ever thought about somebody robbing this store. i was always worried about somebody picking up something and walking out the door with it. and now i got to worry about this. >> if you have information, call metro crimestoppers at 1- 866-7-lock-up. callers can remain anonymous. well, it appears quick action by a train operator may have prevented a deadly accident on the washington, d.c. metro earlier this year,

just three months before two trains did collide on the tracks. the "washington post" is reporting that back in march, a safety system designed to help trains avoid crashes malfunctioned, and that forced one train's driver to use her emergency brake to stop before hitting another train. this crash in june on the red line killed and injured. a similar malfunction is suspected in both incidents. investigators studying the crash learned about the incident in march from a committee that monitors d.c.'s metro system is. on this first anniversary of a deadly bay bridge crash, aaa atlantic is calling on maryland transportation system to stop two-way traffic on the bridge. truck driver john short died when another car crossed the center line. short hit his brakes and plunged into the bay. the accident happened with two- way traffic with no physical barrier celebrating the

oncoming traffic. aaa says it wants the state to come up with better safety procedures and increase the inspections of the bridge itself. question for you. if you're a parent or grandparent, how healthy is your baby or your grandchild? coming up baltimore battles to give your child a healthy start. and we'll head back out boo the heat with guy whos who try to beat the heat by beating each other. and speaking of heat, we do have a 2-degree guarantee winner in fact. the name is ian smith of parkton, maryland. so congratulations. he wins a norm lewis bobblehead doll. and the official high 93 degrees. we gave you a number of 95. we're within range. and there you can see the other particulars. we'll have the forecast coming up in a few minutes. >> watch abc 2 news any time on channel one with comcast on demand. ♪

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you're watching baltimore's station that works for you. now abc 2 news at 6. >> the fight to keep baby ace live and healthy continues in baltimore city, despite recent reports about the high infant mortality rate. health providers at baltimore's healthy start are seeing an improvement. the program offers prenatal help and counseling has has helped 12,000 women since 1991. >> both of my births were very successful. both my pregnancies very successful. >> senator ben cardin and congressman elijah cummings toured the west baltimore facility today. program director there's are urging congress to help pay for a mobile van that will allow them to serve an additional one thousand women. now the forecast certified baltimore's most accurate by weather rate, and maryland's most powerful doppler radar.

>> code red and it felt like it today. >> it certainly did. it was a hot one, and continues to be as we head into the evening hours. let's take a look at what is happening outside right now. it's a little on the hazy side, but pretty nice as far as the skies are concerned. temperature right now is at 90 degrees. relative humidity at 47%. and the wind is out of the west- southwest at 10. so at least there is a little bit of a breeze out there. this is what is happening on the bay tomorrow there is the high and low tide information. the wind will be out of the west 5 to 10 miles per hour. the high temperatures today 93 degrees was the official temperature out at bwi. 91 in easton. 94 in hagertown. 92 in dover. and 98 in ocean city. temperatures right now have fallen a few degrees. so we are past the intense heat of the day. and what really makes it intense is that humidity. the dew points are up in the upper 60s. that means it feels like we're at 94. it feels like 100 in easton. 102 in dover. 106 at ocean city.

so it feels like we're up beyond the mid 90s. and that's what makes it dangerous to us. it's hard to breathe out there when it gets that soupy. the radar shows mainly clear skies throughout the day most of the day today. we have a few clouds starting to move in now as we head towards the evening hours, and a couple of showers. we have a lynn of showers and thunderstorms that is trying to make its way over the mountain range in the west. we'll have some of it coming into our region. most of it is going to pass to the north of us along the mason dixon line, the most likely place to see the showers and the thunderstorms possibly developing. but for the most part, most of us are going to stay dry. as we wide ten picture, you can see clearer skies along the coast to the south of us. this is a large area of high pressure. this is what is keeping that area clear. it's also bringing the warm temperatures, the heat and humidity right in out of the deep south up into our region. that's why it feels so warm. it's going to continue as we head into the overnight hours and throughout the day tomorrow. then you can see a line of showers and thunderstorms, just

off to the northwest of us. that is a cold front that is out ahead of a cold front, and it's heading towards our region. we'll feel a little bit of a difference by tomorrow night. it will head through this time tomorrow. here is your forecast. you can see a couple showers here and there developing but, not a whole lot out of it as we head through the day on tuesday. maybe a couple of showers to the west. wednesday looks pretty good as well. we're looking at a nice mix of sun and clouds. and once that front has passed through, we'll be out of the 90s and back into the 80s. for tonight 75 degrees, warm and muggy. a couple isolated storms are possible as we head into the day tomorrow. we're looking at a high of 92 degrees. partly sunny. developing storms in the late afternoon and into the evening hours, probably continuing into the overnight as well. in the next 7 days, the temperatures really remain warm. it's going to be one of our warmest weeks of the season. 86 degrees by wednesday. 83 by thursday. the heat and humidity lessened a little bit. and it starts to build back into the forecast as we head

towards next weekend. even by saturday and sunday, we're in the mid 80s with a good deal of sunshine even into the beginning of next week. back. >> thanks, susan. you've heard it before, but on a day like today, it's not bad repeating. when it gets this hot outside, remember a few things. drink plenty of liquids like water or juice. avoid caffeine and alcohol. they just dry you out. reduce outside activities and wear light weight and light- colored clothing. the expert says watch out for signs of heat exhaustion and heatstroke, including confusion, nausea and light- headedness. for more on the heat and a list of the cooling centers, log on to our website, abc2news.com. the sun may be baking us, but sunny skies are great for anyone tapping into its energy, and that includes governor oh mallly. solar powers are being installed. the work began today. it's part of an effort to save energy in all state buildings. the improvements include more efficient lighting and temperature controls. the panels will help provide

hot water used in government house. well, rob carlin is off honeymooning with megan, so i have today's sports report. we begin at ravens training camp where the temperatures were as hot as the competition. the ravens spent a lot of the morning in drills as the offense and defense tested each other and their endurance in the heat. once again terrell suggs was not on the field. the ravens insist his injury was not serious, but he hasn't practiced since getting hurt last week. s for those on the field, ray rice took all of the reps with starters during full-team drills. he can't wait for the preseason games to start. >> this year kind of know what to expect. going out there, you know, it's the preseason. but these are games to us. we have to go out there and play to the best of our ability. i'm excited to get out there again, football is the greatest time of the year. no matter if it's preseason or the super bowl, everybody is watching. for us, we're excited. i'm personally excited, you know, because all the work i did in the off-season, you want to get out there and see how

it's going to pay off for a longer year. >> blocking that he does, or crack blocking, his route running is ten times as good as it was a year ago. and we're going to push the ball to him here in the preseason and give him some opportunities to make some plays. >> we'll see because the ravens play their first preseason game this thursday night when they host the washington redskins at m&t bank stadium. the orioles are home after a rough road trip. the team struggled again in toronto yesterday, coming up short and losing by 7-3. this is the o's 17th loss in 23 games since the all star break. in the second start of his major league career, brian matusz struggled. the o's host the athletics tonight at 7. tonight a hazy, warm evening. susan is back with the full forecast. explain.

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diabetes and cancer, and they've heard that biomedical research offers hope -- that it could control, maybe even cure, their disease. senator barbara mikulski understands the importance of innovative biomedical research for patients, their families, and our economy here in maryland. call senator mikulski today. tell her thanks for protecting the promise of biomedical research and the maryland jobs it provides. it's not just the future. it's life. are you ready for a few more traffic delays through downtown baltimore? they won't be permanent, but they might feel like it. road crews started repairing parts of pratt street, reducing traffic to two plains from martin luther king martin luther king boulevard to paca. they're supposed to be

temporary happening between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. the repair work is supposed to last about 7 months. and a reminder. we're under a heat advisory for most of the state until 8:00 tonight. and then the heat coinues in throughout the day tomorrow. let's take a look at the seven- day forecast. 92 tomorrow. maybe some thunderstorms in the afternoon. then we cool down. we're back into the 80s. but things still stay on the warm side as we head even into next weekend. >> thanks, susan. that's all for us on abc 2 news at 6. i'm marybeth marsden. thanks for joining us. we'll be back here tonight at 11. we hope you'll join us then. we have the latest on the health care meeting at towson university. have a great evening. stay cool. good night. >> thanks for choosing abc 2 news at 6. for more news, watch abc 2 news at 11, or go now to abc2news.com. abc 2 works for you.

tonight at 11, disease- carrying pests with a painful bite. what is a protective parent to do? >> if i could put her in a bubble, i would. >> abc 2 works for you. we'll show you the best way to keep your kids safe, tonight on your set, net and cell. abc 2 news on your iphone, available at the itunes ap store now. be the first to know. forecasts, video clips, breaking news, with just a touch. download the abc 2 news ap for free. search wmar, only on itunes. (announcer) if you think all batteries are the same, consider this:

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