Miami wakes up Thursday, June 25, to hazy skies, patchy smoke and that familiar wall of sticky heat, with early temperatures around 79°F and humidity already pushing the "feels-like" temp higher. An Air Quality Alert for fine particulates is in place through 3 p.m., and forecasters are calling for a high near 89°F with heat index values climbing to about 102°F this afternoon. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are on the table for inland spots through the early evening, and any stronger storm could bring frequent lightning and brief heavy downpours.
Smoke and Air Quality
The Miami-Dade Division of Environmental Resources Management has issued an Air Quality Alert for fine particulate matter, which the National Weather Service Miami is relaying for much of the metro area through mid-afternoon. Sensitive groups are advised to limit outdoor exertion while concentrations stay elevated. Patchy haze has already been reported over parts of the city this morning and may linger near downwind neighborhoods for a bit longer.
Heat and Storms
Skies will be mostly sunny overall, with the high near 89°F and heat index readings edging into the low 100s across inland neighborhoods this afternoon. A slow southeast breeze combined with the afternoon sea-breeze boundary is expected to focus most of the thunderstorm activity over interior and western areas. For more on this stretch of smoke and heat, see our June 23 update, Smoky Sunrise, Sweltering Streets (June 23).
Timing and Impacts
Patchy smoke should gradually ease by mid-morning. There is a slight chance of a passing shower or storm between about 8 and 9 a.m., followed by a broader window for scattered activity from late morning into mid-afternoon, roughly 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Winds will run light to moderate out of the southeast, around 6 to 12 mph, and any thunderstorm could briefly kick up gusty winds and localized downpours, in line with the pattern described by the National Weather Service Miami.
How To Stay Safe
If you are heading outside, try to schedule tougher outdoor activity for the early morning hours or move it indoors, keep water handy and be ready to head inside if storms start popping inland. People with asthma, COPD, heart conditions, young children and older adults should stay indoors while the Air Quality Alert is active and may want to use public cooling centers or libraries if a cool, air-conditioned space is needed.
