Topline
Record-breaking heat has struck South Florida this week and will persist into the weekend, bringing the heat index up to 109 degrees and unusually hot weather to parts of the state not usually seen until the summer months.
Temperatures are forecasted to rise into the weekend. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty ... [+]
Key Facts
Key West’s Wednesday heat index—what temperature feels like to the human body—tied the island city’s highest heat index on record at 115 degrees, according to AccuWeather, as temperatures reached 92 degrees.
Miami’s temperature reached 96 degrees Wednesday, its second-highest temperature in May ever, according to the National Weather Service.
Daily low points also reached record highs Wednesday, giving some cities little respite during the night as temperatures lowered to 83 degrees in Key West, 81 in Miami and 77 in Tampa.
South Florida’s heat index is expected to intensify into Saturday, according to the National Weather Service, when the region’s forecasted feels-like temperatures will range between 103 and 109 degrees.
Key West’s heat index is expected to reach 106 degrees Saturday, while Fort Lauderdale and Fort Myers are forecasted between 105 and 106 degrees.
Saturday’s forecasted temperatures have a strong likelihood of breaking even more record high temperatures in South Florida, the Washington Post reported, while excessive heat risks reported by the NWS are expected to transition from “elevated” to “significant.”
Tangent
Heat waves in the east in the coming months may contribute to an active hurricane season this summer and fall, as warm air and warm waters are known to fuel hurricanes. The Atlantic hurricane season could reach a “record-setting pace” this year as more than 25 named storms are expected across the summer and fall, according to AccuWeather. Of those storms, forecasters expect eight to 12 will become hurricanes. Four to seven of the storms could intensify into Category 3 or higher major hurricanes (at least 111 mph).
Key Background
The heat being experienced in Florida this week is unusual for the middle of May and is a precursor to what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration expects to be an exceptionally hot summer. Parts of Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and northeastern states like New York, Maine, New Jersey and Massachusetts will likely experience seasonal temperatures above normal, according to a NOAA summer outlook. The northwestern and southern U.S. are also expected to experience temperatures above normal.
Further Reading
‘Explosive’ 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season May Set Record, Forecasters Warn: Here’s Why (Forbes)
