Miami reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday, matching a temperature the city has recorded only once before in more than 130 years of weather observations. The triple-digit reading tied Miami's all-time temperature record, first set on July 21, 1942, as a powerful heat dome settled over Florida and much of the southeastern United States. Weather officials said the feat is particularly unusual because Miami's coastal location and humid climate normally prevent temperatures from climbing that high.
Miami is famous for heat and humidity, but paradoxically those same factors often stop the city from hitting triple digits. The Atlantic Ocean typically acts as a natural air conditioner, with sea breezes helping cap temperatures. Frequent summer thunderstorms also provide cooling relief before thermometers can climb into the 100s.
Meteorologists said Tuesday's setup was different. Drier air mixed down beneath a strong area of high pressure, while offshore winds limited the cooling ocean breeze that usually develops along South Florida's coastline. With fewer clouds and less storm activity, temperatures continued rising throughout the afternoon.
Miami officially reached 100°F on July 21, 1942. Until Tuesday, that remained the highest temperature ever recorded in the city, despite decades of hurricanes, heat waves and unusually warm summers. Tuesday's reading tied that mark, making it just the second time Miami has hit the century mark since records began in 1895.
The average high temperature for mid-August in Miami is about 91°F, putting Tuesday's reading roughly nine degrees above normal. The record came as a major heat dome settled across Florida and the Southeast. A heat dome forms when a large area of high pressure traps hot air beneath it.
As the air sinks, it compresses and warms, while cloud formation and rainfall become less likely. Forecasters said the pattern helped push temperatures across Florida well above seasonal averages this week. More than just Miami was affected.
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