Washington-area residents sought shelter Monday as soaring temperatures combined with high humidity to push the heat index to 105 degrees — the highest it’s been all summer.

Two elderly people and a child received care at Fairfax INOVA Hospital for heat-related illnesses that included extreme heat exposure and throbbing headaches due to dehydration. Another middle-aged person was treated at the Arlington Virginia Hospital for unspecified heat issues.

The weather today is expected to be similar with air quality deteriorating to Code Red status, according to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments — this means more people may begin to experience health effects. With the heat index expected to hit 105 again, residents should try to stay inside air-conditioned buildings.

For those without air conditioning, local area governments are providing cooling centers for a respite from the heat and humidity. The D.C. Emergency Management Agency activates the centers, often located in district government buildings, when the heat index reaches 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

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“[The cooling centers] remain open as long as the index is over 95,” said Jo-Ellen Countee, public information officer with the D.C. Emergency Management Agency.

The four main D.C. cooling centers were open until 9 p.m. Monday.

Prince William County also provides air-conditioned locations where residents can get relief. The Prince William Drop-in Center on Potomac Mills Road said some 25 people took advantage of the cooling center Monday. It will open its doors at 11 a.m. today, two hours earlier than originally planned.

“Because the heat index is so bad, we will be opening the cooling centers earlier,” confirmed Nikki Brown, a public information specialist for Prince William County.

“Tuesday is going to be abominable,” said Kevin Kornreich, an emergency operation specialist/weatherman for the District, “and the rest of the week is going to be just as bad.”

The four main District Cooling Centers:

One Judiciary Square 441 Fourth St. NW

Frank D. Reeves Center 2000 14th St. NW

King Office Building 3720 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE

Public Center 25 M St. SW