The “feels-like” temperatures will be dangerously high nearly every day this week in various sections of South Florida.
Some areas will experience “significant” heat risk this week through Saturday, said the National Weather Service, meaning the heat index will hit 108 to 112 degrees F, with “dangerous and potentially deadly heat stroke likely with prolonged exposure.”
The significant risk will peak Wednesday along the east coast and suburban inland areas from Jupiter south to Homestead.
The risk will be “elevated” for nearly all of South Florida from Tuesday through Sunday, with heat indices reaching 103 to 107 degrees F, meaning “heat exhaustion is likely with prolonged exposure,” the weather service said. Heat Advisories are likely.
The heat index combines the actual air temperature with relative humidity levels to create a “feels-like” temperature.
The National Weather Service initiates alerts when the heat index is expected to exceed 105 to 110 degrees F (depending on local climate) for at least two consecutive days.
“Above normal temps will continue today (Monday) and for much of the upcoming week,” the weather service said. Scattered showers and thunderstorms were expected late Monday.
Near-record heat
Fort Lauderdale’s highest forecasted temperatures of 95 on Wednesday will be within a degree of the hottest May days ever recorded.
Evening low temperatures will be exceptionally hot, too. The low in Fort Lauderdale on Monday night of 81 could tie the record for the hottest May overnight low ever recorded, from the years 2016, 2017 and 2022.
NWS meteorologist George Rizzuto said that hot nights can add stress to the body.
“When nighttime temperatures don’t dip very low and you have these very high afternoon temperatures, your body needs a little bit of a break to restore itself,” Rizzuto said.
This week’s nighttime and early morning lows in the high 70s to 80, combined with high humidity, will result in evening “feels-like” temperatures in the upper 80s to low 90s.
“When your heat index is not dropping very much below 90 at night, and your heat indices during the day are 100 to 105, there’s high stress on the body through the entire period. So you don’t get relief at night.”
