South Florida is on the verge of a hot weather record. Can we break it this week?
Update: According to the National Weather Service in Miami, the city broke a heat record Tuesday when it hit 97 degrees. This extends the streak of days in which temperatures climbed to at least 94 degrees in Miami to a record setting 23.
Brian McNoldy, a senior research associate at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, studies trends for a living and he spotted a sweltering one in South Florida.
On Monday, McNoldy, in a tweet hashtagged with #ThisIsNotNormal, said a “new record is nigh” since Monday was the 22nd day this year where temperatures hit, or topped, 94 degrees in Miami. “The all-time record for an entire year is 23 days, and that just happened in 2019. The 24th day could happen this week,” he predicted.
Forecast highs
CBS 4 meteorologist Lissette Gonzalez comes closest to forecasting today being close. She thinks the high could hit 93 degrees Tuesday. “But it will feel like the 100s this afternoon,” she added in a tweet.
On that, the National Weather Service in Miami agrees. Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach are all looking at a high of 92 degrees. Homestead should hit 93.
By 10:30 a.m. it was already 90 degrees in Kendall, for instance.
Marathon, in the Florida Keys, is the hot spot, set to hit the 94 degree mark Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service in Key West.
Key West and Key Largo, on the far south and north point of the island chain, would be just one degree cooler.
But the heat index through midweek in South Florida could range from 105 to 109 degrees, according to the service’s hazardous weather outlook, issued Tuesday.
Thunderstorms through weekend
So if we fall just short of setting a record 23rd day this week in Miami what could be the reason?
Blame it on a summer pattern that also calls for afternoon thunderstorms.
While Tuesday only calls for a 20% rain chance overall, the chance for some strong storms exists in the afternoon, according to the weather service. Midweek bumps up to 50% and Thursday sets a pattern of 70% through Monday.
The strongest of these storms could boast wind gusts of 45 mph, frequent lightning, waterspouts and possible local flooding.
If we don’t push on through Tuesday, the overcast skies could make McNoldy wait just a bit longer for that 23rd day of 94 or more degrees in Miami. Temperatures are forecast to hover in the high 80s midweek into the weekend.
Pets and children
One subject that merits mentioning again: never leave your children or pets in an unattended car on a hot day, even with the windows rolled down.
Avoid walking your dog during the hottest part of the day, too. That pavement gets hot.
This story was originally published July 14, 2020 at 11:18 AM.
