It's hot out there: Heat wave to bring weekend temps in 90s for parts of Palm Beach County
An early-season heat wave moving across the South is forecast to bring record daily temperatures to parts of Florida and nearby states in the days leading up to the Memorial Day weekend.
The National Weather Service in Miami predicted a high near 94 degrees for interior regions of Palm Beach County on May 16, with highs along the coast reaching into the mid 80s.
The warming trend is forecast to continue through early next week, as daily high temperatures climb to the mid to upper 90s across southwest Florida, where heat indices could reach 103-105 degrees each afternoon.
The heat index combines the air temperature with the relative humidity and defines how outdoor temperatures feel to the human body.
Along coastal areas, sea breezes will help to temper conditions during the daytime, keeping highs in the upper 80s and lower 90s, the National Weather Service said. Overnight lows are forecast to stay in the mid-70s.
The chances of rain are low across Palm Beach County at least until May 21 and will increase as Memorial Day draws nearer on May 26.
The heat wave could bring moderate to major heat risks to some areas of the South, forecasters say.
"The greatest risks will be across the southern tier from East and South Texas, eastward along the Gulf Coast, into the Southeast and Florida," the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland wrote.
"Across these regions, there will be potential for both record high afternoon temperatures Friday and Saturday and record high morning temperatures Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings."
For many, the warmer temperatures will mean spending more time indoors in air conditioning. Lowering the temperature on the thermostat will likely mean cooler homes, but more expensive electric bills.
Florida Power and Light spokesperson Katarina Alvarez said a one-degree increase in thermostats could save between 3% to 5% on cooling costs. The less the air conditioner has to work, the lower your bill.
For a long time, 78 degrees has been the number recommended for thermostat settings. But ENERGY STAR, a program run by the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy that has become synonymous with energy-efficient appliances, does not recommend any specific temperature.
'ENERGY STAR does not assert that any particular temperature setting is good for households,' the EPA said in an email to The Palm Beach Post.
Homeowners are encouraged to set temperature settings based on what is comfortable to the others in the household, the health conditions of people in the house, how well the home is insulated, what other cooling methods are in use — and how much the owner is willing to pay for the electric bill.
In the Florida summer, opening windows day or night could mean letting in heat. Temperatures don't drop much in the overnight and letting the place heat up means an air conditioner will have to start from scratch in the morning.
Other steps you can take include:
Use a programmable thermostat and set the indoor temperature higher when you are away from home.
Use fans to circulate the air when you are in a room. Turn them off when you leave.
Change your air conditioner's filter regularly.
Close curtains and blinds to keep direct sunlight out of your home.
Replace old insulation and weather stripping.
Staff writer C.A. Bridges contributed to this story.
Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: South Florida braces for high temperatures amid weekend heat wave
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