Seattle is experiencing anomalous heat with new temperature records, but cooling is expected by Tuesday. Meanwhile, a double stabbing occurred in the Chinatown area: two men are in critical condition and a suspect is being sought by police.
Hot start to summer: Seattle sets temperature records, but relief is near
The start of summer in Seattle has been truly hot: Sunday, June 16 brought a new temperature record to the city. According to KOMO News, thermometers at Seattle-Tacoma Airport (Sea-Tac) climbed to 89 degrees Fahrenheit (about 31.7°C), breaking the previous Flag Day high of 86 degrees (30°C). Monday is expected to be no less sweltering: forecasters predict Seattle could break or match the June 15 record of 88 degrees (31.1°C), possibly exceeding it by one or two degrees. Heat advisories are in effect across many parts of the region and, as noted in the KOMO article, will remain until Tuesday. The cause is not only high daytime temperatures but also unusually warm nights.
The difficulty of the current situation is that the heat does not subside after sunset. For example, on Monday at 3 a.m. some parts of Seattle were still near 70°F (21°C). Meteorologists warn that homes without air conditioning will face "sleep-disrupting conditions," as nighttime lows are expected to be around 60°F (15-16°C). This "mini two-day heat wave," as forecasters called it, is "half over," and residents should prepare for another hot day on Monday: south of Puget Sound temperatures will reach the low 90s (around 32-34°C), and in Seattle itself up to 90°F (32°C). Cities expected to hit around 90°F include Issaquah, Maple Valley, Puyallup, Auburn, Lakewood, Tacoma, Olympia and others. In eastern areas, such as Wenatchee and Omak, forecasts call for about 97°F (36°C). Notably, the heat will affect sporting events: during the World Cup match between Belgium and Egypt on Monday, the field is expected to be around 85°F (29°C) at kickoff and nearly 90°F (32°C) by the end.
However, residents shouldn’t despair. Relief is near. Forecasts indicate the coastline will feel the cool first: already on Monday La Push and Long Beach should drop to about 60°F (15-16°C) thanks to returning fog and stratus — low, layered clouds that often bring humidity and cool. The main cooldown for the Puget Sound area is expected Tuesday. Currently a ridge of high pressure is parked off the West Coast, maintaining warm and dry weather. But forecasters predict a low-pressure system moving from Canada toward Montana will change the pressure gradient and initiate an onshore flow. That movement will pull cooler air from the Pacific to replace the hot air mass. As a result, Tuesday should be cloudy with possible drizzle or light rain, especially Wednesday morning. After the marine front passes, temperatures for the rest of the week should stabilize: mostly in the 70s°F (21-26°C), with possible returns to the 80s°F (27°C) on Friday and Sunday. Summer officially begins Sunday morning.
In Seattle an unknown assailant stabbed two men in Chinatown
On Sunday evening in Seattle’s Chinatown area a brutal attack occurred: two adult men suffered multiple stab wounds and were hospitalized in critical condition. Police launched a large search for the suspect, who remains at large. The report of the crime came in around 6:49 p.m., when witnesses reported a man covered in blood near the intersection of 10th Avenue South and South Weller Street. Responding Seattle Police Department (SPD) officers found the first victim, an adult male, with multiple puncture and slash wounds. Officers provided immediate first aid until Seattle Fire Department (SFD) medics arrived and transported him to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition.
While officers canvassed the area for the assailant, they found a second victim near the intersection of 12th Avenue South and South Weller Street. This man had also suffered multiple stab wounds. He was aided on scene and then rushed to the same hospital with critical injuries. According to MyNorthwest.com, the SPD Crime Response Center was engaged to assist the investigation and provided information about a possible direction of travel for the suspect. Police cordoned off the area, and patrols from several precincts, SPD’s K-9 unit and even the King County Sheriff’s Office joined the search. Despite the large sweep, the suspect was not apprehended.
The investigation has been turned over to the Homicide and Assault Unit, whose detectives are now working to reconstruct the events leading up to the double attack. Authorities have not disclosed possible motives or whether the victims knew the assailant. Police are urging anyone with information to call the SPD violent crimes tip line at (206) 233-5000. The situation remains tense: this is not the first violent incident in the area recently, and local residents are worried about safety in one of the city’s historic neighborhoods.
Double attack in Seattle: two victims in critical condition after street stabbing in Little Saigon
Sunday evening in Little Saigon, located in Seattle’s Chinatown-international district, was marred by a violent incident. Two men were hospitalized in critical condition after being stabbed on South Weller Street. Seattle police, as reported by The Seattle Times, arrived on scene around 6:50 p.m. and found the first victim — a man covered in blood with obvious stab wounds. During the search for the suspect officers located a second wounded man nearby at the intersection of 12th Avenue and South Weller Street. Both men were immediately taken to Harborview Medical Center, where their conditions remain extremely serious, according to hospital reports.
Police deployed significant resources to find the assailant. Detective Brian Prichard noted officers used information from the City’s real-time Crime Response Center, as well as assistance from K-9 units and the King County Sheriff’s Department. Although the crime scene was quickly secured, the suspect has not been located. The investigation is ongoing and detectives are following possible leads. This incident is not the first of its kind in the area: in 2024 Little Saigon experienced a series of random knife attacks, after which a suspect was arrested and charged with aggravated assault.
While motives for the current attack have not yet been established, police do not rule out a connection to previous street assaults. Investigators say the inquiry is complicated by the fact that in densely built neighborhoods with large homeless populations — and Little Saigon is one of Seattle’s most densely populated and socially diverse neighborhoods — witnesses often hesitate to cooperate. The City’s real-time crime management center referenced by the detective is an integrated system of surveillance and analytics that lets police instantly review camera footage and track suspect movements. However, in poorly lit and chaotic street conditions that tool does not always yield clear results.
Local residents and business owners express concern about a repeat of last year’s pattern when the neighborhood was effectively terrorized by a serial assailant. According to reports, similar incidents in 2024 occurred within a span of several blocks, and the arrest of a suspect then did not lead to full stabilization of the area. The difference between an isolated act of violence and a series of attacks matters for threat assessment: if this is part of a series, there is a risk of recurrence and police will need to increase patrols. For now investigators’ main task is to determine whether the assailant was involved in prior attacks and whether he acted alone. Police officials are not commenting on possible links between cases, citing the secrecy of the investigation, but stress that all leads are being considered.
As The Seattle Times emphasizes, the incident highlights systemic public-safety problems in low-income, densely populated neighborhoods where street violence has become a recurring issue. Harborview Medical Center, where the victims were taken, is the region’s largest trauma center and often treats victims of such attacks, underscoring the scale of the problem. Police are urging residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity, while a full analysis of what happened and possible measures to prevent future attacks remain subjects of public discussion.
