Naples, Fort Myers see record heat; hot streak will continue across Southwest Florida

Yearning for crisp winds out of the north, maybe a sweater-worthy morning?

That's not going to happen any time soon as daily temperatures in Southwest Florida continue to soar, within a degree or two of records. 

Naples tied record highs on Monday and Tuesday at 94 and 92 degrees. 

The predicted high in Fort Myers for Wednesday is 92 degrees, which would tie an all-time high for an Oct. 17, according to National Weather Service records. 

"With the setup right now, most of central and southwestern Florida are going to be right at records values (Wednesday) and there's a possibility that it may extend into Thursday as well," said Tony Hurt, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Ruskin. 

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Air over land heats up faster than land over water, so on hot days the warm air over the peninsula is blown toward Southwest Florida. 

The rainy season stopped, too, which allows for more sunlight during the hottest point of the day. 

"Not only do you not have the rainfall but you don't have the cloud cover and without the cloud cover the temperatures can get a little higher," Hurt said. 

There's also been no sign of a cold front, which would help curb daily highs by bringing cooler, drier air to the Sunshine State. 

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Hurt said Southwest Florida typically sees its first cold front of the year anytime between late September and Halloween. 

Some cold fronts don't bring necessarily cold weather, but they're called cold fronts because it is a meteorological term. 

The average high for an Oct. 17 is 87 degrees in Fort Myers, according to weather service records. 

Highs for the rest of the week will be in the upper 80s with a 10 to 30 percent chance of rain. 

"We’re in a pattern where an area of high pressure keeps down the showers and storms and you get more sunshine and we’re still waiting on the first good front to make its way down here as well," said Sean Miller, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Miami, which covers Naples. 

Meteorologists are also watching for a weak El Nino that may form over the winter. 

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Strong El Nino conditions bring wetter, slightly cooler winters to Southwest Florida while also suppressing the development of tropical storms and hurricanes. 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, says there is an above-average chance of above-average temperatures over the next three months. 

Hurt said conditions will improve slightly by the weekend. 

"More moisture will work its way into the area and with that you get more ground cover and that will keep temperatures in the upper 80s," Hurt said.

Jason Greenbaum said he was looking forward to the winter months as he stood on a step ladder outside the Barclay’s Real Estate Group office in downtown Fort Myers, hammering the underside of the roof. He was repairing the roof of the building shortly after 3 p.m. Tuesday.

“It’s definitely hot,” he said, wiping his brow. “When you have the sun beating down on you all day, it slows things down because you have to stop more.”

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It makes the job more difficult and stalls productivity, he said. Greenbaum, 39, works at Heyer Quality Construction, which operates in Fort Myers and Cape Coral. The winter months are the best building months, because of the weather and the snowbirds, he said.

Miller of the National Weather Service said a cold front may develop within the next two weeks. 

"We’re not advertising anything cooler just yet because it’s not certain," he said. "But (the first cold front) is not too far off."