TAMPA, Fla. – Millions in Florida are once again sweating under heat alerts Wednesday as a summer hot spell rewrites the record books and bakes the Sunshine State in a heat-and-humidity combo that makes it feel like it’s as hot as 110 degrees.
Heat Advisories stretch across much of the Florida Peninsula, from Jacksonville to Orlando to Tampa to Miami, through Wednesday evening, covering the same areas as Tuesday, when high temperatures in the upper 90s set records. Naples tied a record at 96, while Tampa and Sarasota reached a record 97 degrees, Sanford hit 98, and Brooksville hit 99. Tampa’s all-time record high is 99.
Similar high temperatures are expected within the Heat Advisories Wednesday, pushing well into the mid-90s, if not the upper 90s. Average highs in early July are in the upper 80s along the coast and lower 90s inland.
Meanwhile, with dew points still in the mid- to upper 70s – also at the upper end of the Florida summer heat experience – the hottest locations will have feels-like temperatures as high as 110 degrees in west-central Florida and even up to 112 degrees in east-central Florida.
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“This is really tough heat,” FOX Weather meteorologist Jane Minar said. “This is the type of heat that – you know, it’s hot in Florida in the summer months – but this is even hot for anyone who is down there all year round.”
The high humidity values make it extremely difficult for the body’s sweat to evaporate and provide natural cooling effects.
“When you factor in the heat index, now you have this pool of sweat that doesn’t get removed from your body, then your body temperature begins to rise, and if you’re not careful, you can really fall victim to heat illnesses,” Minar said. “This is the type of heat that can get dangerous really quickly.”
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One saving grace is that scattered showers and thunderstorms will be roaming the state amid the heat Wednesday afternoon and evening, providing at least some occasional brief and temporary cooling at the expense of adding even more of a sticky feel to the air.
While the Heat Advisories expire in the hours after sunset Wednesday evening, they will likely be reissued again on Thursday, according to the FOX Forecast Center.
High temperatures and heat index readings will likely climb right back up to similar levels reached Tuesday and Wednesday.
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“Take all the breaks you need with these heat concerns as we head through the next couple of days,” FOX Weather meteorologist Kiyana Lewis said.
Temperatures are expected to drift back a little closer to average toward the end of the week, but the long-range forecasts for the next 6 to 14 days indicate continued above-average temperatures are likely in Florida through the period.