Florida will suffocate through another hot and humid day with a heat advisory in effect through 6 p.m. Monday, July 15.
National Weather Service meteorologists in Miami said the heat index or "feels like" temperatures could reach 112 degrees in some areas with only a 30% chance of passing showers to bring temporary relief.
In Palm Beach County, a heat advisory is issued when heat index temperatures are forecast to reach 108 degrees or higher for at least two hours.
This is the eighth day this month that a heat advisory has been triggered for Palm Beach County with the drowning warmth sticking around late into the evening and rearing up early in the morning. On Sunday night, it still felt like 100 degrees at Palm Beach International Airport at 5 p.m.
Monday morning, it was already up to a 97 heat index temperature at 8 a.m.
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Daytime highs are forecast to be near seasonal normals at around 90 degrees all week with overnight lows dropping to a warm 80 degrees in West Palm Beach.
But a puff of dry air may enter the atmosphere on Tuesday, reducing humidity enough to drop heat advisories.
"Although triple digit heat indices will be a certainty given those temperatures, there may be just enough mixing of drier air aloft to keep us below advisory criteria early in the period," NWS meteorologists wrote in their Monday forecast.
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Last week, heat index temperatures reached 114 degrees in West Palm Beach for a short period on Tuesday and stayed consistently above 105 for eight hours with only a short reprieve when a light shower moved over the National Weather Service gauge at Palm Beach International Airport.
The heat advisory thresholds have changed in South Florida
The NWS announced last month that Broward County would join Miami-Dade County in an experimental program that starts advisories at a lower threshold level. In those two counties, an advisory is issued if heat index temperatures of 105 or higher are expected for at least two hours. An excessive heat warning is issued if the heat index is expected to reach 110 or higher for at least two hours.
What is a heat advisory?
A heat advisory means people sensitive to warm temperatures should take precautions to avoid heat illness, including staying hydrated and seeking breaks if working or playing outside. Signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke include symptoms such as muscle cramps, excessive sweating, a throbbing headache, passing out, confusion and seizures.
An excessive heat warning, the highest alert level on a four-tier scale, means everyone needs to take precautions to stay safe in the heat because "you may become seriously ill or even die," the NWS says.
Tips to for staying safe during extreme hot weather
Tips for keeping safe during excessively hot weather from the American Red Cross:
∎ If you suspect heat injury, call for help.
∎ Children and the elderly are among the most vulnerable.
∎ Try not to work outside in the hottest part of the day; if you must work in the heat, slow down.
∎ When outdoors, take frequent breaks in the shade.
∎ Drink plenty of water.
∎ If you wait until you feel thirsty, you're already getting dehydrated.
∎ Don't drink beverages containing caffeine or alcohol (sodas or beer). They interfere with the body’s temperature-regulating mechanisms.
∎ Sweating is the body’s mechanism for cooling. If you stop sweating, call for help.
Kimberly Miller is a journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network of Florida. She covers real estate and how growth affects South Florida's environment. Subscribe to The Dirt for a weekly real estate roundup. If you have news tips, please send them to kmiller@pbpost.com. Help support our local journalism, subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Heat advisory issued for Palm Beach County with temperatures expected to feel as high as 112
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