Heat is on: Local temps could top 90 for first time in 2017

Blame sunny skies, high pressure over Gulf of Mexico, forecasters say.

S u mmerli ke t e mperat u re s descend on South Florida today, with the mercury forecast to reach 91 degrees in West Palm Beach.

It would be the first 90-degree day measured at Palm Beach International Airport in 2017, and a full 6 degrees above what’s normal for this time of year. The average daily high temperature at the airport typically doesn’t reach 91 until late July.

Chuck Caracozza, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Miami, said a steadfast high pressure system locked over the Gulf of Mexico and sunny skies are causing the unusual warmup.

“It could be a degree or two on either side of 90,” Caracozza said. “In April, we hit 89, but this would be the first 90-degree day in Palm Beach.”

The record high temperature for May 11 is 95 degrees set in 2011. Friday is forecast to reach Check local conditions, see live radar and keep up with reporter Kimberly Miller’s weather updates. The free PBPost Weather app is available on iTunes and at Google Play. Search for Palm 90 degrees.

A weak cold front expected to move through the state this weekend had raised the potential for rain, but the chances are dwindling as the front now appears it will dissipate during its trek south. Chances for rain Saturday and Sunday stand at 20 percent.

“Also, the threat for thunderstorm ac tivit y keeps decreasing, so mention of thunder has been removed from the forecast for now,” meteorologists wrote Wednesday.

The lack of thunderstorms is good news, as lightning could increase the already high wildfire threat.

But heavy, prolonged rain is really what’s needed to deter the fires, said Phil Peterson, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Jacksonville.

Jacksonville is forecast to reach 95 degrees today, which would tie the record high for May 11. Orlando is expected to reach a record-tying 96 degrees.

“At the very most, we may be looking at a tenth of an inch, possibly a quarter inch of rain,” Peterson said. “And we need much more than that to help with the wildfire situation.”

There were 125 wildfires burning Wednesday on state and federally managed land, including 26 that were each more than