New Times photo-illustration (Virginia Key photo by Jessica Gibbs; “It’s Fine” Lego by Kyle Keller/Flickr)
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If you’ve spent any amount of time outside during the past few days, you may have noticed that it feels hot. Like, really, really, realllllly hot.
Earlier this week, as temperatures in Miami reached unbearably high temperatures in the mid-90s, one curious (and presumably clammy) Redditor posed the question in the r/Miami subreddit: “Is anyone else concerned about the weather ??”
“It’s been so hot recently! Outside feels like high 90s in early May that’s crazy,” the user wrote.
“Not concerned. Usually around Mother’s Day the oven turns on and then in August the broiler turns on,” one person commented.
“So when did ya move here,” another wrote.
“I remember my first time in Miami,” a third quipped.
But while many of the nearly 200 replies suggested the recent sweltering heat is part of the annual 305 experience, Brian McNoldy — a senior research associate at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science — tells New Times this level of heat and humidity is pretty unusual for mid-May.
“It has been unreasonably steamy lately,” McNoldy explains, adding that the current weather would be typical for late June.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), temperatures in Miami reached a high of 94 degrees Fahrenheit on May 2 and have climbed into the 90s for several consecutive days since May 7.
McNoldy says the heat index — also known as the “feels like” temperature — set new records on May 7 and May 9 and could continue doing so in the coming days.
He says the main reason it feels so much hotter right now is the “extra juicy air,” or high dew point (a measure of the amount of moisture in the air), which he says hit new record highs this week.
“The very high dewpoint is what makes it feel so oppressive,” McNoldy says.
Luckily, there might be some reprieve on the horizon.
According to an NWS forecast, some rain and thunderstorms could potentially arrive in Miami later today.
“Continued warm today with some scattered showers and storms possible this afternoon into early evening,” the weather forecast office wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Until then, we’ll be keeping our sweaty fingers and toes crossed!
