Weather alert: It could feel like 110 in South Florida as heat advisory issued

The extreme heat is back.

For the third straight day this week, the National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for South Florida. Thursday’s advisory is in effect from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and covers Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.

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The weather service says it could feel as hot as 110 degrees across the region.

The agency advises: “Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.”

No rain is in the forecast Thursday to cool us off. A plume of Saharan dust arrived Wednesday and will keep things hazy and dry.

“We’re in baking mode,” said CBS News Miami meteorologist Shane Hinton.

Thursday’s forecast calls for sun and a high of 92. Storms are forecast to return on Friday, when the rain chance in South Florida rises to 30%.

But the extreme heat will be back Friday, too, according to the National Weather Service in Miami. The next World Cup match in South Florida will be at 5 p.m. Saturday.

The extreme heat index — air temperatures mixed with humidity — “may cause heat illnesses,” the weather service warns.

MORE: As World Cup arrives, Miami’s heat and humidity a concern for players, fans

What is Saharan dust?

The arrival of Saharan dust is usually good news for the tropics, but bad for allergies and respiratory issues. And it ramps up the heat in an already sweltering stretch.

Saharan dust, also referred to as the Saharan Air Layer by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is “a mass of very dry, dusty air that forms over the Sahara Desert during the late spring, summer, and early fall.” A dust cloud whipped up from Africa’s Sahara Desert — a 3.6-million-square-mile hot desert, the largest in the world — moves over the tropical North Atlantic Ocean every three to five days, according to NOAA.

The Saharan dust layer is typically 2 to 2.5 miles thick and about a mile above the earth’s surface. Saharan dust doesn’t have a named season, like the wet season or hurricane season, but its activity has prevalent periods.

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The activity usually ramps up in mid-June, peaks from late June to mid-August, and begins to rapidly subside after mid-August, NOAA explains. Saharan dust can irritate eyes, ears, nose and throat. If you have allergies or respiratory health issues like asthma or chronic bronchitis, you may want to stay indoors and take your allergy medication. Usually, you can notice the haze. But between the upcoming rain, you may also notice more vibrant sunsets.

What is a heat advisory?

The National Weather Service in Miami issues a heat advisory if the heat index is 105 degrees for at least a couple of hours. Before 2023, the weather service issued a heat advisory when the heat index hit 108 degrees. The goal is to spread awareness so that people protect themselves from extreme heat that leads to more than 30 deaths and hundreds of hospitalizations every year, according to county estimates.

What is the heat index?

The heat index is a measure of how hot it really feels when relative humidity is factored in with the actual air temperature, according to the weather service. This is how hot it “feels like” on your skin on steamy days.

How can you prevent heat illness?

Miami-Dade County has issued several hot weather survival tips, based on U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advice, and noted who is most at risk:

Who is most at risk of heat-related illnesses:

Older adults 65 and older, young children, people with chronic health conditions or mental illness, athletes who exercise outdoors, outdoor workers, people living unsheltered or with limited access to air conditioning, pregnant people, and pets.

What you should do:

▪ Stay cool by spending time in air-conditioned buildings.

▪ Avoid direct contact with the sun.

▪ Reduce physical activity and move to shaded areas.

▪ Do outdoor activities in the cooler morning or evening hours, and dampening your shirt or wrapping a wet scarf or bandana around your neck or forehead could also help.

▪ Stay hydrated and drink plenty of water or drinks with electrolytes if you’re sweating. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink more. Use sunscreen, too, to protect against skin damage.

▪ Limit or avoid dehydrating caffeine and alcohol.

▪ Never leave infants, children or pets in a parked car, even if the windows are cracked open.

▪ Watch for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Seek medical care immediately if you know someone who experiences symptoms that could include high body temperature, headache, dizziness or nausea and confusion.

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