Sweltering Heat

Sweltering. . . as in uncomfortably hot. So when does hot become uncomfortable? For me its when the temperatures at noon surpass 90° F. (32° C.) and the humidity is above 50%. Currently it is about 95° F. (35° C.) with humidity around 70%. The apparent temperature (or heat index) is currently 108° F. (42.2° C.). . . that is sweltering.

Our brief experience with some wetter weather disappeared yesterday and we returned to wicked hot, humid, and buggy conditions in Central Florida. For some reason the National Weather Service doesn't issue a bug forecast. I can report that it is thick and painful today. The mosquitoes appear to be nesting in damp fallen leaves. . . so as one walks the bugs are disturbed. . . they rise, fly, and start to bite.



The tropical moisture is visible in the skies, but it doesn't always lead to precipitation. These shots of sunbeams around clouds (above) illustrate the moist atmosphere.



There has even been some fog in the twilight hours as lakes and swamps steam.

June was a month of exceptional extremes across the USA and July is shaping up to be much like June. June was one of our hottest ever in Florida. There are 117 years worth of data on this part of Florida and we were in the top 5 for hottest this June.



Add to the heat the fact that rainfall is still scant. In June we recorded one of our driest starts to "rainy season" in the 117 years records have been kept. It was the 9th driest June on record. . . many of the other driest Junes occurred in the past decade. The cumulative effect is a baked-dry and often bizarre-looking environment for native Floridians. We were accustomed to something more green.



The semi-permanent Atlantic high pressure ridge axis extends across the peninsula of Florida today which limits thunderstorm activity. Most thunderstorms that do occur will occur at the intersection of sea breezes in the far interior of the peninsula.



For now we can only hope that a tropical wave or other tropical low brings us some much needed rain, later this month. Currently none of the computer weather forecast models predict tropical storm formation in the Atlantic Basin.