Updated

A prolonged and intense heat wave has gripped Florida for over a week, prompting repeated Heat Advisories in the Tampa Bay area with feels-like temperatures reaching 108-112 degrees on multiple days from Tuesday through the weekend. The oppressive heat, driven by a major heat dome, pushed Miami to an all-time record high of 100 degrees—a mark not reached since 1942—as heat alerts blanketed the entire state. Local officials opened cooling centers, such as Vestal United Methodist Church, to help residents cope, while forecasters noted the pattern was expected to gradually ease as rain chances increased through the following weekend.