Hottest Day in Southeast Florida

Here is a Public Information Statement from the NWS in Miami reviewing today's high temperatures and a glimpse back at the history of the hottest day previously.

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT  
..UPDATED 

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 
458 PM EDT MON JUN 22 2009 
  
..ALL TIME RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE TIED AT FORT LAUDERDALE 
  
..DAILY RECORDS FALL AT WEST PALM BEACH AND MIAMI 

ACTUAL TEMPERATURES NEAR 100 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT HAVE ONLY OCCURRED A  
FEW TIMES ACROSS MAINLAND SOUTH FLORIDA THROUGH THE PERIOD OF  
METEOROLOGICAL RECORD OF ABOUT 100 YEARS.  NORMALLY, ONSHORE  
SEABREEZES KEEP TEMPERATURES WELL BELOW 100 DEGREES NEAR THE HEAVILY  
POPULATED COASTAL AREAS OF MIAMI-DADE, BROWARD, PALM BEACH, MAINLAND  
MONROE, AND COLLIER COUNTIES. 

HOWEVER, TODAY, MONDAY, JUNE 22, 2009, A PERSISTENT STRONG WESTERLY  
WIND FLOW KEPT SEA BREEZES FROM DEVELOPING ALONG THE METRO ATLANTIC  
COAST.  THIS ALONG WITH STRONG HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT ALLOWED ACTUAL  
TEMPERATURES TO SOAR NEAR 100 DEGREES IN METRO MIAMI-DADE, BROWARD  
AND PALM BEACH COUNTIES, RESULTING IN NUMEROUS RECORD TEMPERATURES. 

CITY/CLIMATE SITE OLD RECORD AND DATE     NEW RECORD SET JUNE 22 2009 
--------------------------------------------------------------------- 
MIAMI INTL AP     94  1998 AND 1992       98  NEW DAILY RECORD 

FT LAUDERDALE/ 
HOLLYWOOD INTL   96  1956                100 NEW DAILY RECORD 

                 98  JUNE 21 2009        100 NEW MONTHLY RECORD 

                100  AUG 4 1944 
                     JUL 21 1942         100 /TIED/ ALL TIME RECORD 

PALM BEACH INTL   95  2004 AND 1992       96  NEW DAILY RECORD 

TEMPERATURE RECORDS EXTEND BACK TO 1895 AT MIAMI, TO 1912 AT FORT  
LAUDERDALE, AND TO 1888 FOR THE WEST PALM BEACH AREA. 

NOTE...THE FORT LAUDERDALE RECORD OF 100 DEGREES ON AUGUST 4 1944 IS  
SOMEWHAT DUBIOUS BECAUSE OF INSTRUMENT EXPOSURE AND BECAUSE ALMOST  
NO OTHER SOUTH FLORIDA REPORTING STATION REACHED 100 DEGREES ON THAT  
DATE. HOWEVER, THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT MANY SOUTH FLORIDA LOCATIONS  
REACHED 100 DEGREES ON JULY 21 1942, EVEN THOUGH THE RECORD FOR FORT  
LAUDERDALE FOR THAT MONTH IS INCOMPLETE. 

THE FORT LAUDERDALE HOLLYWOOD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TEMPERATURE  
ACTUALLY TOUCHED 101 DEGREES FOR A FEW SECONDS JUST AFTER 4 PM EDT  
BUT DID NOT HOLD IT LONG ENOUGH TO BE CONSIDERED THE MAXIMUM  
TEMPERATURE FOR THE DAY. 

THE DATE OF JULY 21 1942 IS LIKELY THE PREVIOUS HOTTEST DAY EVER FOR  
MAINLAND SOUTH FLORIDA, AS MANY LOCATIONS REACHED OR EXCEEDED 100  
DEGREES. THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF REPORTED MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES  
FOR MAINLAND SOUTH FLORIDA ON THAT DATE... 

JULY 21 1942 MAX TEMPS 

FORT LAUDERDALE 100 EST 
FORTY MILE BEND  99 
HIALEAH         100 
HOMESTEAD       100 
HYPOLUXO         98 
LOXAHATCHEE     101 
MIAMI BEACH      98 
MIAMI INTL AP   100 
MOORE HAVEN     100 
NAPLES           96 
POMPANO BEACH   100 
WEST PALM BEACH 101