KEY WEST, Fla. — The heat index in Key West tied a previous record on Wednesday, May 15, and it’s not even summer yet.
The heat index reached 114 degrees, 17 degrees more than the previous record for the day and just shy of the all-time record of 115 degrees, according to a chart created by Brian McNoldy, a researcher at the University of Miami.
The chart shows the heat indexes, temperatures and dew points in Key West from 1948 to the present. In previous years, the city hit a heat index of 114 degrees on June 28 and July 10.
The actual temperature was 92 degrees in the southernmost point in the United States. The National Weather Service said the Keys will see the highest temperatures so far this year and used the adjectives “hot, unbearable and heavy” as just a few of the words to describe the air on Wednesday.
Heat Index is what the temperature feels like to the human body when humidity is combined with the air temperature. The index is categorized as “dangerous” when feels-like temperatures reach 103-124 degrees, which can lead to heat cramps or exhaustion. People can also be at risk for heatstroke if they stay in that environment for too long.
Last year, Florida and other parts of the country and world hit record-breaking temperatures and July was even declared the hottest month ever on record by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Last summer was the second warmest on record in the Tampa Bay area, and this year looks like it will be another hot one. NOAA released a summer forecast with above-average temperatures for almost the entire country.
The National Weather Service advised peopleto hydrate, dress lightly and slow down on days of extreme heat. To keep cool, people should drink plenty of water; wear light, loose-fitting, light-colored clothing; and reduce strenuous activity.
