MIAMI — One step outside and there’s no question: It’s hot outside.
It’s all people can talk about. We’re just under a month into summer and South Florida is feeling the heat. It’s that stinging feeling from the sun that some find has a little more bite than usual and those feelings are not just in your imagination.
For Jannah and Aaliyah Benjamin it’s the time of the year they look forward to most But they say this year feels a little different.
Aaliyah feels it when she’s riding her bike.
“When I was younger, I used to be able to go outside and have fun with my family without really worrying about that,” Aaliyah said. “Now that I’m older, it’s a little hotter.”
The sisters like being outside for as long as they can. Lately, that’s not been that long.
“It’s so hot that I have to go back inside after like, one or two rounds to go fill up my water bottle and it takes, it takes out of the fun like a lot,” Aaliyah explains.
“When it’s really hot, I feel sweaty and uncomfortable,” Jannah added.
The Benjamin sisters aren’t alone. Tourists and dog walkers across South Florida are also feeling the heat.
“Listen, I remember last time, we were still complaining about the heat but it is muggier. It’s closer,” said Ndy Okoronkwo, who is visiting from London. “Definitely feels hot for sure.”
“I think every year is horribly hot,” added Karina Gomez, who feels the heat while walking her dog. “This year it’s more, it feels more humid.”
What they are all feeling is some of South Florida’s record-breaking heat. 2023 saw the warmest summer ever. In fact, four of the hottest years on record all happened within the last five years.
“I think it’s all about perception,” explained CBS News Miami Meteorologist Cindy Preszler. “Over the years if you take a look at the statistics here for South Florida, it has been getting hotter. Yes. And that has to bring in climate change.”
South Florida is close to the equator, where it gets 13 hours of straight sun. But, Preszler said it’s not just the days we have to be careful of.
“Temperatures here in Miami are only dropping at a low to mid-80s for overnight lows, so the body doesn’t get to recuperate,” she said. “You don’t get that break. And for those folks who have to work outside every single day, that’s tough. It becomes cumulative and it’s really tough on the body.”
Preszler said what’s happening isn’t because of the sun — it’s because of the planet. It’s up to people to protect themselves from the heat, the sun and its UV rays.
Knowing your body and not ignoring warning signs will be some of what will get us through some of the hottest days ever.
