Miami tied its highest temperature on record on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, when the city reached 100°F (37.8°C), CBS Miami meteorologists reported. Miami’s temperature record extends to 1895, and the city’s only previous 100°F day was July 21, 1942.
On the same day, an Oklahoma Mesonet station in Kingfisher recorded 112°F (44.4°C), according to the Oklahoma Mesonet Ticker published on August 19. The Oklahoma reading is included as a separate observation. This article does not describe it as a new statewide all-time record.
Why Miami reached 100°F
Miami’s coastal location usually allows an Atlantic sea breeze to bring relatively cooler air inland during the day. That cooling influence struggled to develop on August 18 because winds were coming from the west.
A National Weather Service Miami forecast discussion issued that afternoon said westerly flow would dominate much of South Florida and keep the east-coast sea breeze from making much progress inland. It forecast heat-index values of 105°F to 112°F, or about 40.6°C to 44.4°C, across the region.
The heat index estimates how hot conditions feel when humidity is considered alongside the air temperature. It is different from the measured air temperature of 100°F that tied Miami’s record.
CBS Miami’s weather team later reported the same local mechanism, saying the west wind prevented the usual ocean breeze from developing along the coast.
What a record day can and cannot show
A temperature record on one day does not, by itself, establish how much climate change influenced that particular event. Event attribution requires a separate analysis of observations and climate models.
The longer-term warming trend is clearer. A May 20, 2026 Climate Central analysis, using open NOAA observations and Climate Central’s attribution method, found that average summer temperatures had risen between 1970 and 2025 in 236 of 243 US cities studied.
Climate Central estimated that human-caused climate change was the leading driver of summer warming in 221 of those cities, meaning it accounted for at least half of the observed warming. The analysis also found that 234 cities experienced more hotter-than-normal summer days than they did in the early 1970s, with an average increase of 22 days.
A separate Climate Central analysis published on June 24 examined wet-bulb temperature, a measure that combines heat and moisture to indicate how difficult it is for the body to cool itself through sweating. It defined a dangerous humid-heat day as one reaching a daily maximum wet-bulb temperature of at least 77°F (25°C).
That analysis estimated that climate change had increased the number of days meeting its dangerous humid-heat threshold in 161 of 247 US cities studied. Neither Climate Central analysis establishes a city-specific attribution for Miami or Kingfisher on August 18.
How to reduce heat risk
During dangerous heat, National Weather Service guidance recommends considering postponing or rescheduling outdoor activity during the hottest part of the day. People who must be outside should drink water, take frequent breaks in the shade and spend time in a cool place. Checking on family members and neighbours who may need help is also important.
Heat stroke is a medical emergency. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention heat-illness guide lists warning signs that can include a body temperature of 103°F (39.4°C) or higher, confusion, a fast and strong pulse, and loss of consciousness. Call 911 in the United States, or the local emergency number elsewhere, move the person to a cooler place and begin cooling them.
Heat exhaustion can involve heavy sweating, pale or clammy skin, a fast and weak pulse, nausea, dizziness or weakness. The CDC advises moving to a cool place, loosening clothing, cooling the skin and sipping water. Medical help is needed if the person is vomiting, symptoms worsen or they last longer than one hour.
Weather alerts can change quickly. Readers should check their local meteorological and health authorities for current conditions and guidance.
