ORLANDO, Fla. – Here’s the good news: the city of Leesburg did not set a record by reaching 100 degrees for a third straight day.
Here’s the bad news: the city still hit a daily record.
So did Sanford. And Daytona Beach.
Official temperatures in Leesburg hit 99 degrees Tuesday, a new daily record for the Lake County city. The last time it was that hot on a July 29 was in 2010.
Meanwhile, Sanford hit a high of 100 degrees Tuesday, breaking a 2010 record at 98 degrees.
Daytona Beach highs hit 98 degrees, a high that had not been seen since 1992.
Orlando highs hit 98 degrees, falling just shy of the daily temperature record set in 1949, and Melbourne hit 95 degrees. The highest daily temperate for Melbourne was 98 degrees, set in 1999.
The Leesburg airport had reported back-to-back 100-degree days this week.
On Sunday, the record high of 97 degrees, set in 1998, was broken. The 100-degree mark on Monday broke a 57-year record high of 96 degrees.
If the forecast had held out, the stretch would have become the longest consecutive period at or above 100 degrees ever recorded in Leesburg.
Feeling Hotter
Worsening the situation, much of Central Florida was under a rare Extreme Heat Warning in effect through 7 p.m. Tuesday, as heat index values could soar to 120 degrees.
Central Florida’s high on Wednesday falls to 97 degrees, with rain chances at 40%.
[BELOW: Check out Candace Campos’ forecast]