It may be the hottest week of the summer in Palm Beach County.
The county is roasting under dangerously high temperatures. South Florida is under a heat advisory that could repeat itself tomorrow. The heat index, or “feels-like,” temperature could soar up to 112 degrees on Monday, Aug. 17, and will hang around 110 the rest of the week.
Every day this week has a possibility of breaking high temperature records, according to Anthony Reynes, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Miami. High temperatures will linger in the upper 90s — between 95 to 97 degrees — most of the week.
During a heat advisory, the weather service recommends that people limit strenuous activities outdoors during the peak heat of the day, stay hydrated, take care of pets and stay in air conditioning when they can. A heat advisory is triggered when there is a heat index of at least 108 degrees for two consecutive hours.
Why is it so hot in Palm Beach County this week?
There is a perfect storm of conditions supporting the extreme heat. High pressure is dominating the region and a plume of Saharan dust that arrived over the weekend is keeping rain chances low.
Chances for rain are low early this week, but they will climb up to 40% to 50% on Wednesday, Aug. 19, as some moisture filters into the region. The rain won’t be enough to stop the extreme heat, though.
“Even if we have more rain activity on Wednesday, it’s going to be mostly in the afternoon hours,” Reynes said. “So unfortunately, the morning hours should be enough to get that heating from the sun, and we should still see those afternoon highs in the mid to upper-90s.”
When will it start to cool down in Palm Beach County?
This is typically the hottest time of the year in Palm Beach County. But the brutal heat won’t last forever.
Temperatures will likely start to steadily cool down some time between mid-September and the end of September, according to Reynes.
“That’s when we’re going to start seeing more frontal systems like cold fronts getting a little closer to the area and temperatures in general start to go down,” Reynes said.
How to stay safe in extreme heat?
County officials suggest these heat safety practices:
Maya Washburn is a Trending News Reporter for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida-Network. Reach her at mwashburn@pbpost.com. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach County braces for what may be the hottest week of the summer
Reporting by Maya Washburn, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
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By Maya Washburn, Palm Beach Post | USA TODAY Network
