JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Southeast Georgia and Northeast Florida is well known for its summertime heat.
But the heat the past several days has been well above-average, and it could last into next week as well.
The Heat is On
Friday marked day five of the past six days with heat advisories for the Jacksonville area.
Heat advisories are issued when the heat index, or “feels like,” temperatures exceed 105 degrees in the afternoon.
We’ve already tied the number of heat advisories issued last year.
The highest number of heat advisories issued in recent years was eight back in 2019.
Air temperature highs have also been above average.
The Jacksonville Airport has recorded five straight days of over 95-degree highs. This is the longest stretch of 95°+ heat since late July and early August of last year.
The highest temp so far in this stretch has been 98 degrees, which is the warmest it has been in Jacksonville since June 23, 2022, when the high was 100 degrees.
The average high temperature in early July is 92 degrees.
The Pesky Ridge
The culprit for this high heat has been a persistent ridge over the Gulf of Mexico.
The ridge, which started in Texas in June, as slowly pushed eastward, plenty of heat with it.
These types of ridges are notorious for producing hot temperatures and are known to last for several days.
The ridge, or heat dome, is beginning to break down, and temps will likely start to fall back to the low to mid-90s by the weekend and early next week.
Another Round of Heat?
While temps will likely fall into more seasonal standards in the next few days, there are some early indications that the hot weather may not be entirely over.
Some computer models are indicating the ridge may rebuild itself late next week.
This would result in the warmth once again returning to the area, including highs above 95 degrees and heat indices above 105 degrees.
The 6-10 outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for mid-July keeps all of Georgia and Florida with warmer-than-average conditions.
It is typically hot this time of year, but the heat has been quite intense the past few days. After a brief break, the mid to upper 90s may make a return for mid-July.