It's heating up in Southwest Florida with heat indices in the triple digits this afternoon and a Heat Advisory in place for Collier County.
After Tropical Storm Emily brought a wet start to the work week with temperatures capped off in the mid to upper 80s due to the rain and cloud cover, high pressure builds in over the Atlantic decreasing storm chances while cranking up the heat.
Average temperature for early August is 92º in SWFL, but we're flirting with records heading into Thursday and Friday as high temperatures top out in the mid 90s. The standing record for August 3rd in Fort Myers is 97º, set in 1989 and tied in 1991, and the forecast high is 94º today. The forecast high climbs to 95º on Friday with the standing record of 100º from 1942.
In addition to the heat, abundant humidity bumps heat index values to 105º-110º, easily contributing to heat related illnesses if proper precautions are not taken. You should limit time outside if possible, and if not possible, spend as much of your time in the shade while staying hydrated. A Heat Advisory is in place for Collier County through Thursday evening with the potentially dangerous heat. A Heat Advisory was last issued July 25th & 26th for inland Collier County with similar conditions. Only a handful of heat advisories have been issued for south Florida in the past 5 years.
The unusual heat will not last forever, however, a surge of tropical moisture moves in this weekend increasing storm chances once again, helping temperatures back off to a more seasonal range in the low 90s.
