ORLANDO, Fla. — It’s July in Florida, which means it’s hot and humid. But for the 4th of July, it will be quite hot and humid even by Florida standards, as temperatures will feel like well over 100 degrees in some areas.
Heat Advisories have been posted across much of the state Tuesday, stretching from Jacksonville to Miami, with only the Florida Panhandle excepted.
High temperatures will soar into the mid-upper 90s— nearing record-heat territory though likely to come up just a few degrees shy.
But with higher-than-usual humidity levels, heat index readings will cross beyond triple digits, and in some cases around east central Florida, even past 110 degrees.
WHAT IS THE HEAT INDEX AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO YOUR HEALTH?
“It is not just the heat, but the humidity— which is to be expected this time of year for Florida, but we’re talking about ‘feels like’ temperatures that could be getting up to 112 -115 degrees,” says FOX Weather Meteorologist Britta Merwin. “So that’s when we go from typical hot and humid for Florida, to pushing the envelope for safety.”
Orlando will see ‘feels like’ temperatures around 105 Tuesday and Wednesday, with it feeling like 106 in Tampa and Naples. Even Miami will feel over 100 degrees.
“And we have a lot of folks traveling to Florida who are not Floridians,” Merwin said. “If you’re from Montana, and you’re flying down to Orlando to enjoy the 4th of July, you’re really going to be hit in the face by that 105 feels-like temperature. So make sure if you do have family that is visiting you, you keep everyone safe.”
That goes for the long-time residents too.
“Even if you’re seasoned with the heat and humidity because you’ve lived down South for a while, you can get yourself into some tricky situations,” Merwin said.
EATING ICE CREAM IN THE SUMMER HEAT MIGHT BE MAKING YOU EVEN HOTTER
Florida has no monopoly on a hot and humid 4th of July.
Heat alerts also stretch across parts of the Carolinas Tuesday as heat indexes reach over 100-105.
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, will feel like 102 degrees Tuesday, while Wilmington, North Carolina, could feel like 104.
Much of the rest of the Southeast will see heat indexes reach well into the 90s on Tuesday.