Stifling Heat, what’s next?

South Florida was back to baking in this mid-summer swelter Monday While actual air temperatures were only slightly higher than usual the deep humidity prompted heat alerts A check on the numbers indicates the peak Heat Index how it feels with humidity reached -degrees at Ft Lauderdale Executive Airport Monday afternoon Not far behind was Pompano Beach with a heat index It s very manageable more heat advisories could be issued by the National Weather Institution as early as Tuesday That means there s a continued focus on hot temperatures and high humidity which may cause heat related illnesses To reduce the exposure stay hydrated avoid the sun especially during peak heating periods seek air conditioning when viable and check up on neighbors and relatives Our hot weather issues have been enhanced by the fact that we ve had minimal clouds and rain The drier pattern though will be coming to a halt fairly soon Looking ahead we ll gradually tap into more moisture It ll be drawn our way due to a deepening southerly air flow from Tuesday into Wednesday At the same time we ll be in the crosshairs of a weakening disturbance from the Bahamas an upper level low Attention to the radar and sky will be necessary with heavy downpours arriving at times Then the long range forecast calls for another dose of drying Following the wetter stretch from Tuesday through Thursday a push of drier air heads into the region by Friday Forecast models suggest this could be enhanced by a plume of Saharan Dust that shifts our way late in the week If that holds we ll see hazy skies with only slim chances for showers and storms So the upcoming weekend is likely to be mostly dry and quite hot