May Meltdown: Record-Breaking Heat Grips Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach
Yet another scorching day breaks the heat record.
Once again, South Florida experienced scorching temperatures on Sunday, a trend that the National Weather Service in Miami has noticed in recent times. The intense heat coincided with a severe thunderstorm watch that concluded at 7 p.m.
The temperature in Miami and Fort Lauderdale reached a scorching 95 degrees, surpassing the previous record of 94 degrees. Miami’s record had remained unbroken for over two decades, while Fort Lauderdale’s had stood strong for nearly four decades. In West Palm Beach, the temperature reached a scorching 98 degrees, breaking the previous record of 94 degrees set back in 2008.
Forecasters posted on Sunday morning that the area will continue to experience excessive heat, with peak heat indices potentially reaching 110F in southern parts.
According to the NWS, the heat index is a measure of how the temperature feels to the human body when combined with relative humidity. When the index reaches 105 degrees for a few hours, meteorologists from NWS Miami issue a heat advisory.
May has seen a consistent pattern of scorching days. Miami has been experiencing record-breaking temperatures since May 14, with both overnight and afternoon temperatures consistently reaching new highs. Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach have both experienced a similar trend, with the start dates being May 7 and May 13 respectively, as reported by the NWS Miami.
Despite the forecasted severe weather conditions, Miami was spared from hail, high winds, and lightning this weekend.