Miami has just broken one of its oldest heat records: the thermometer reached 96°F (35.6°C) last Friday, surpassing a daily record that had stood since 1909, as Florida remains caught in an extended wave of extreme temperatures that threatens to persist over the coming days.
The National Weather Service in Miami confirmed that the 96°F (35.6°C) recorded on Friday set a new maximum record for that date, surpassing the 95°F (35°C) reached over a century ago, in 1909.
The record did not come as an isolated incident. The Florida State Office of Surveillance warned this Sunday that a strong high-pressure system remains anchored over the southern United States and has been causing a prolonged heatwave for several days, with temperatures above normal and a dangerous combination of heat and humidity across almost the entire state.
For this Sunday, for example, the heat indices may reach or exceed 108°F (42.2°C) in areas under heat advisories.
In northeastern Florida and the Panhandle, temperatures may rise to as high as 110°F (43.3°C). Authorities have warned that this situation is likely to continue throughout the upcoming work week.
In south Florida, the heat is further intensified by the arrival of a Saharan air mass, which brings dry air to the mid-levels of the atmosphere and decreases the likelihood of rain.
For a large part of the peninsula, the chances of precipitation remain below 30% this Sunday, which currently limits one of the few natural reliefs from the high temperatures.
CBS Miami had already warned on Saturday that the combination of humidity and actual temperatures above 90°F (32.2°C) would lead to heat index values exceeding 100°F (37.8°C) from Pompano Beach to Key West.
The media also indicated that the heat and dry conditions could persist until the middle of the week.
The situation has been building up for weeks. At the beginning of August, Miami-Dade and Broward were already facing heat indexes exceeding 105°F (40.6°C), while authorities made cooling centers available to particularly protect the elderly, young children, people with chronic illnesses, and workers exposed during long hours outdoors.
Extreme heat did not begin in August either. In May, Miami and Fort Lauderdale had already come close to historical records for that time of year, with temperatures between four and eight degrees Fahrenheit (2.2 and 4.4 degrees Celsius) above the usual averages during that episode.
Florida has recorded other remarkable milestones in recent years. In July 2025, Tampa reached 100°F (37.8°C) for the first time in its history, an all-time record since weather records for the city began in 1890.
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