When will this extreme heat end in South Florida? New advisory issued

Extreme heat is sticking around South Florida.

The National Weather Service in Miami has issued another heat advisory for the region, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday. It’s the fourth straight advisory this week as Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties have wilted with feels-like temperatures soaring to the triple digits.

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“It feels like a steam room,” Lissette Gonzalez, a meteorologist with Miami Herald news partner CBS News Miami, said Thursday morning. “It’s just oppressive.”

Just wait until the afternoon. That’s when feels-like temperatures, which take into account humidity, will be as high as 110 degrees, according to the weather service.

“It is brutal. It is dangerous,” Gonzalez warned.

The actual high temperature will rise to 92, which is a few degrees cooler than the past few days in South Florida. Wednesday’s high reached the mid-90s and Tuesday hit 100 in Miami, which hadn’t happened since 1942.

Afternoon rain is cooling us off a little, Gonzalez said, although the extreme heat index puts people at risk of health issues.

The rain chance is 40% on Thursday afternoon, and the low temperature at night will drop to the low-80s. That pattern will continue on Friday, Saturday and Sunday with a similar temperature range and rain chance, according to the National Weather Service.

Storms on Thursday and beyond will offer “some relief,” Gonzalez said.

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.

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What to know about 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.

Read more When will this extreme heat end in South Florida? New advisory issued

This story was originally published August 20, 2026 at 6:02 AM.