Sudden Respite for Us, Record Highs for Florida

I can't seem to keep up with what is happening this season?! We have had crushing-hot temperatures day after day after day.  On the last day of July, I found a fascinating essay about 100° Temperatures in Albuquerque, which said, hey -- by August -- the worst is over.  I felt my hopes stir a little.  But what actually happened the first week of August was another massive blast of heat.

Depressing.  Worrisome.  Dispiriting. Exhausting.

Then Tuesday afternoon, when the forecast called for something inconsequential like, 30% chance of rain, one particular batch of clouds headed STRAIGHT for us and it poured!  We got .69"!  It came down so hard and fast, it knocked out some of the footings for the bridge over the interstate at San Pedro (our secret, favorite route to Jo's house for puzzle night every Thursday).

Tuesday, August 8th, 2023 2pm

We were all stunned.  Rain in a dry climate always knocks the heat down.  It was utterly unexpected and shocking and delicious!  We went from 96° to 67° in the space of an hour.  And with some light cloud cover, it stayed in the low 70s the rest of the afternoon and evening.  We threw open the windows!  

I did have to laugh REALLY hard: wet hens.Why don't they get out of the rain?!  Quon was soggy.  Like an old kitchen sponge.  Ellie and Sistah Gurl were hilarious!

Our temperatures since then, have actually subsided. Since that crazy Tuesday, we have been experiencing what I would consider 'normal' (manageable) heat: Wednesday - 98°, yesterday (Thursday) - 99°, (93° or 94° at the Airport). A pattern of late afternoon clouds and a breeze knock it down about the time it feels unbearable. What a mercy.

BUT what seems to have happened is that that hideous, oppressive, heat dome has inched its way east. In our place, Mom and Robert and Sharon and Greg/ Kelly are being tortured (assaulted/ fried). Again, it is hard to wrap my head around it. Robert said they were in for it through the weekend. My heart really goes out to them: all you can do is hide inside. Feel guilty and fret about the fact that your air conditioner is adding to the problem -- a heat pump belching more BTUs into the air in your neighborhood.

 

Weather.gov - US map header "Dangerous Heat Continues in the Southern and Southwest U.S. - An extremely dangerous heat wave will continue over the Southwest U.S. well into next week, with oppressive heat indices remaining across the south-central and southeast U.S. through at least early this weekend. Approximately 80 million people should experience an air temperature or heat index above 105 degrees through this weekend, with dozens of daily record high temperatures possible."