Yesterday’s heat index in Washington D.C. reached 110 degrees, and today we'll probably see the same. Hot and incredibly humid, these are the kind of summer days Washington is known for. The dog days are here.
"Dog days" originated in Roman times as an astronomical expression, “days of the dog,” referring to the dog star Sirius , or possibly Procyon. The Romans linked the rising of the dog star, the most brilliant star in the constellation, Canis Major, with the sultry summer heat, believing that the star added to the exreme heat of the sun.
This suggests that the Romans could be as misguided as the rest of us and that a catchy expression, though based on ignorance, has staying power.
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