Mother’s Day is fast approaching.
You’re probably buying flowers, gifts and making plans to celebrate the mothers in your family this weekend.
But will South Florida feel too hot to spend time dining outdoors or on the beach?
Here’s the weather forecast for Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.
Heat index in the 100s
The heat index is what the temperature feels like to people when humidity is combined with air temperature. When humidity is high, our bodies have a harder time to cool off.
National Weather Service forecasters expect increasingly high heat indices — slightly lowering Sunday.
Take a look a this weekend’s feel-like temperatures:
▪ Friday: Miami (98F), Fort Lauderdale (96F) and West Palm Beach (99F)
▪ Saturday: Miami (103F), Fort Lauderdale (101F) and West Palm Beach (101F)
▪ Sunday: Miami (94F), Fort Lauderdale (93F) and West Palm Beach (96F)
South Florida’s western suburbs, forecasters say, could have a maximum heat index of 105F.
How to avoid heat exhaustion, strokes
With the warming trend and prolonged exposure to the elements, comes an increased risk of heat exhaustion and illness, the National Weather Service said. It happens when the body experiences an excessive loss of water and salt through sweating.
The likeliness of experiencing heat exhaustion increases Saturday, particularly in the western suburbs.
Sunday’s lower humidity levels should help lower these risks, but people should continue to exercise caution.
Here are some of the symptoms caused by heat exhaustion:
▪ Heavy sweating
▪ Cold, pale and clammy skin
▪ Fast or weak pulse
▪ Nausea, vomiting or dizziness
▪ Muscle cramps
▪ Feeling tired or weak
▪ Headache
▪ Fainting
If someone is experiencing heat exhaustion, they must move to a cool place, sip water and put cool and wet cloths on their body. If they throw up of if symptoms last over an hour, call 911.
Heat strokes happen when the body’s temperature increases rapidly and can no longer be controlled.
Heat stroke symptoms also include:
▪ Body temperature of 103F or higher
▪ Hot, red, dry or damp skin
▪ Fast, strong pulse
When suffering from a heatstroke, always call 911.
For a full list of symptoms and recommendations, visit cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/warning.html.
Will it rain?
South Florida’s rain chances will remain under 20% Friday but scattered afternoon showers and thunderstorms are expected Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.
Saturday’s rain chances:
▪ Miami: 31%
▪ Fort Lauderdale: 34%
▪ West Palm Beach: 37%
Rain chances are expected to go under 20% on Sunday.
Rainfall as much as a quarter of an inch is forecast for Broward and Palm Beach counties through Sunday.