Humidity and heat rise in Florida – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Andrey_Popov
Data gathered by the National Weather Service (NWS) indicates that May saw record high temperatures in southern Florida.
At the four climate stations in South Florida—Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Naples—the average temperature recorded its hottest values for the month, according to a post made by the NWS Miami office on X (previously Twitter) on Monday morning.
Miami’s average May temperature this year was 83.7 degrees, above the city’s usual of 80.1 degrees. Fort Lauderdale averaged 85.1 degrees, which was higher than its typical temperature of 79.7. May’s average for West Palm Beach was 84.2, which was a few degrees warmer than the average of 78.9 for that month. Naples’s average temperature is 78.8, although it was only 83 degrees for the entire month.
Last week, a number of Sunshine State cities also set records for daily temperatures. On Wednesday and Thursday, the daily records for Sarasota-Bradenton and Punta Gorda were established consecutively in Tampa. Miami and West Palm Beach both surpassed its May 26 day highs of 96 and 95 degrees, respectively.
While the NWS reported that Monday afternoon’s heat index was approximately 100 degrees, scattered storms that passed over South Florida over the weekend and into Monday may have provided some respite from the heat. As a further caution, forecasters stated that heat indexes “are expected to increase to near Heat Advisory criteria by the end of the week into next weekend.”
The NWS has issued warnings of possible “lethal temperatures” in California, Nevada, Arizona, and southern Utah. Meanwhile, homes in the western and southwestern regions of the United States are under extreme heat advisories later this week. The most severe weather is predicted for Thursday, but the warnings will remain in force through Friday or Thursday morning. They will go into effect on Wednesday morning.
The NWS stated in its Heat Risk Index, which illustrates the effects of heat over a 24-hour period, “this level of rare and/or long-duration extreme heat with little to no overnight relief affects anyone without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration.” “Impacts likely in most health systems, heat-sensitive industries and infrastructure.”
According to the NWS office in Las Vegas, there is a 77 percent possibility that the city will tie its daily temperature record of 110 degrees on Thursday. In central and southern California, extreme heat-related effects are also anticipated for Fresno, Bakersfield, and Ridgecrest.
The public is being advised by forecasters to “drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.”
“Take extra precautions when outside,” the NWS added. “Wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothing. Try to limit strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Take action when you see symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.”
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Born and raised in South Florida, Krystal is a recent graduate from the University of Miami with professional writing experience at the collegiate and national news outlet levels. She’s a foodie who loves all things travel, the beach, & visiting new places throughout Florida.