With much of the country wilting in the heat, Florida has escaped relatively unscathed.
Intense storms called a "super derecho" left a more than 700-mile trail of destruction across the Midwest and Atlantic seaboard last week, killing 22 people and knocking out power to three million homes and businesses. Nearly 1.8 million people were without electricity Tuesday.
The super derecho, which is defined as a widespread and long-lived wind storm that accompanies rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms, was caused by a ripple in the jet stream and fueled by the intense heat in those areas, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
There were 3,215 daily high temperature records set in the month of June. Norton Dam, Kan. recorded a record of 118 degrees one week ago, breaking the previous record of 104 degrees set in 1963, according to the NOAA.
But Florida hasn't experienced that kind of heat or storms. Tropical Storm Debby is gone and there are no new storms on the horizon. Southwest Florida saw highs in the low 90s on the Fourth of July, which is not exactly balmy, but not a record either.
For that, thank the proximity to the ocean.
"Virtually on a daily basis in the summer, we have a sea breeze that kicks in the early afternoon. It moderates the temperature," said Robert Molleda, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. "Also, our almost daily showers and thunderstorms help cool things off. If we do not get the rain, we get the cloud cover, which prevents temperatures from getting too hot."
Molleda said the heat waves across the U.S. are caused by "big domes of high pressure" that sit over an area for a couple of days and dry out the atmosphere.
"It bakes the atmosphere — it's like putting a lid on. That's why it gets so hot," he said. "Those high pressure areas don't affect Florida directly. We see some peripheral effects. We got the edge of it, but not enough to make an impact here."
Molleda said July temperatures should stay similar to what they are now, as South Florida is experiencing a steady easterly wind, also known as the trade winds, which will keep high pressure areas from sitting over the area.
Still, he cautioned people to beware of the heat.
"It is still hot and humid enough that, if people don't take precautions, they could end up with heat exhaustion or heat stroke," he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.