A word like “historic” obviously doesn’t get tossed around lightly. In this case, it’s justified when describing just how hot temperatures got in Miami on Sunday! The official high (recorded at Miami International Airport) was 98 degrees. That easily eclipsed the previous record high of 93, for the date. Beyond that, it was plainly the hottest day of the year, so far. In fact, it was the highest temperature reading in Miami since June 22, 2009 (when we also managed to hit 98 degrees). The rare nature of the upper 90’s should also be put in perspective by mentioning this: the hottest EVER recorded temperature for Miami is 100 degrees… way back in the summer of 1942. The fact that we came within a couple degrees of that mark is pretty astonishing. It’s even more incredible when you consider it’s not officially summer. The season doesn’t technically begin until the third week of June! Now, it’s likely our hot weather trend has peaked for the foreseeable future. Memorial Day will still be stifling, but an earlier developing sea breeze should halt the rise (Monday) to mainly the lower 90’s. Do keep in mind, though, the heat index or “feels like” temperature will remain steamy. This index combines both relative humidity along with the actual air temperature to get to its number. Often, the heat index registers about 10-degrees above what you see on thermometers. So what’s the main reason for our recent heat wave? It’s due to a high pressure dome that’s basically sitting over us. Think of it as a kind of “pressure cooker”. It’s like a tight lid over us with sinking air, limiting the formation of clouds and showers. Gradually this week, we’ll see the grip of the high start to loosen as it reestablishes itself east of the Bahamas. As that happens, you’ll see more cloud cover and a general increase in rain showers (once the moisture reloads). Considering it’s almost June, it will seem more typical as daily downpours return to the forecast for the second half of the week.