SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) – It is a First Alert Weather Day on the Suncoast, as a Heat Advisory will be in place for Manatee, Sarasota, Hardee, and DeSoto counties due to high afternoon heat indexes of up to 112 degrees. Drink plenty of fluids, stay in air-conditioned spaces, and if you must be outside in the heat, take frequent cooling breaks.
The Subtropical Ridge (Bermuda High) is one of the dominant weather features in our summer pattern. Recently, it has been replaced by a high-pressure system situated over the Deep South. This has allowed afternoon temperatures across the Southeast to break record highs and caused the Suncoast to swelter under high heat indexes.
Today, the high over the Deep South (continental high) will continue to drift south of us, causing our winds to shift to the southwest, off the Gulf waters. We may see slightly better chances for rain in the late morning and early afternoon along our coastal areas for a few days, but the larger rainfall amounts and more significant cool-downs will occur in inland locations, away from the coast…