WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — West Palm Beach just had its hottest meteorological summer since records began in 1888.
From June through August 2026, the area averaged 85.1° — beating the previous records of 84.8° set in both 2016 and 2011. That's nearly 2.5 degrees hotter than a typical summer.
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Fort Lauderdale and Miami were even more scorching, with both cities recording their hottest summers ever (or tying their previous records).
The extreme heat came with a serious lack of rain. Donald J. Trump International Airport measured just 14.65 inches of rainfall — more than 8 inches below normal. That makes it the 31st driest summer since record-keeping began.
South Florida experiences these weather trends commonly during El Niño episodes that result in prevailing strong high pressure near or over Florida and the northern Caribbean Sea, generally keeping us drier and hotter.
