WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — South Florida is finally beginning to break out of the unusually dry and extremely hot pattern of recent days as Saharan dust moves away and tropical moisture returns, setting the stage for more widespread thunderstorms this afternoon.
Temperatures will be slightly lower today, with highs generally reaching the low to mid-90s. However, the returning moisture means humidity will remain high, pushing heat index values—the temperature it feels like when humidity is included—to between 105 and 110 degrees. A Heat Advisory is in effect for all of South Florida from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The biggest change will come after midday as scattered showers and thunderstorms begin developing earlier and become more widespread than they have during the recent stretch of Saharan dust. A southwest wind will keep the Atlantic sea breeze closer to the coast, making coastal communities some of the favored areas for afternoon and evening storms.
A few thunderstorms could produce wind gusts between 40 and 50 mph, as storms in St. Lucie county did yesterday along with frequent lightning and torrential rainfall…