The National Weather Service has issued a Heat Advisory effective from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday for portions of southwest and west-central Florida.

This advisory directly impacts coastal and inland areas of Lee, Charlotte, Sarasota, and Manatee counties including Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Sanibel, Punta Gorda, Lehigh Acres, and Babcock Ranch. Residents in these areas can expect peak heat index values to hit 110 degrees.

WGCU Weather meteorologists forecast that some ridging will remain in place through at least the middle of next week, leading to several days of above-normal heat. Due to an abundance of sinking air under the high pressure, widespread shower and thunderstorm activity will be hard to come by.

Whether the current pattern persists through the remainder of the month remains uncertain, but the final week of July is climatologically the warmest period of the year, when average afternoon highs reach at least the low to mid-90s.

Safety Precautions

With the Heat Advisory in place, residents are urged to take the following precautions:

• Drink plenty of fluids and stay in air-conditioned rooms.
• Limit strenuous outdoor activities to the early morning or evening hours.
• Wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing if you must be outside.
• Check in on relatives and neighbors who may be vulnerable to the heat.