West Palm Beach, Palm Beach County warned of major to extreme heat risk
A record challenging heat is stifling South Florida with temperatures not typically seen until deep summer as a loitering area of high pressure pushes out over the next few days.
The National Weather Service in Miami noted pockets from West Palm Beach through Miami where the risk of heat related illnesses has been elevated to "extreme" — the highest warning level on a new heat risk index introduced in 2024.
For West Palm Beach, the daytime high temperature is forecast to reach 94 degrees on May 21, just two degrees shy of the 2008 record of 96 degrees. The normal high temperature for May 21 is 86 degrees.
It's not until mid July that the average peak temperature as measured at Palm Beach International Airport reaches 90 degrees.
"It's going to be very uncomfortable," said Ana Torres-Vazquez, meteorologist with the Miami NWS office. "For the past several days we've had an area of high pressure over South Florida and a lot of subsidence, or air pushing down, and that tends to make things hotter."
At the same time, an approaching front attached to an area of stormy weather over the Mid-Atlantic, will shift winds out of the west. That cuts off the cooling afternoon sea breeze for coastal Palm Beach County and means any air moving in has been warmed by its travel over the steamy Everglades.
More: Climate change triggers new Florida heat warning chart that alerts when it could be deadly outside
The "feels like" temperature or heat index could hit 102 degrees on May 21. As smothering as that it is, it's not high enough to trigger a heat advisory. In Palm Beach County, a heat advisory is issued when heat-index temperatures are forecast to reach 108 degrees or higher for at least two hours.
In Broward and Miami-Dade counties, a heat advisory is issued if heat-index temperatures of 105 or higher are expected for at least two hours.
The weather pattern shifts on Thursday as the front moves through with winds turning out of the northwest. Temperatures are forecast to reach into the low 90s in Palm Beach County but there is also a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms during the day that increases to 70% in the evening.
More: Best ice cream shops, gelato, ice pops and more cool treats in Palm Beach County
The National Weather Service introduced the new heat risk index last year in the hopes it will better translate the possible health complications triggered when the mercury rises to misery.
Like the Air Quality Index and the UV Index, the new ranking system assigns numbers to risk levels that include who is most susceptible to health problems at each level and actions that should be taken to reduce risks.
Kimberly Miller is a journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network of Florida. She covers real estate, weather, and the environment. Subscribe to The Dirt for a weekly real estate roundup. If you have news tips, please send them to kmiller@pbpost.com. Help support our local journalism, subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Record challenging high temperatures in South Florida how hot will it get
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