A recent heat wave in Florida prompted a sheriff's office to make an unorthodox suggestion, asking that criminals consider postponing their crimes until the weather cools down.
Central Florida has recently seen a massive heat wave pass through, with the heat index predicting that residents will soon feel temperatures in excess of 100 degrees Fahrenheit. In the coming days, forecasts for some parts of the state, including Orlando, will have a heat index of 105 to 110 degrees, with only slim chances for rain to help break the oppressive temperatures.
Some areas saw that measure spike to 115 degrees over the weekend, including places like Hardee County, a small county to the southeast of Tampa.
On Sunday, in the face of blistering a heat index, the Hardee County Sheriff's Office, perhaps with tongue slightly in cheek, took to its official Facebook page and urged criminals to hold off on their crimes, saying that such activity in dire heat and humidity presented a danger to all involved. Instead of committing crimes, the agency playfully suggested that criminals consider getting up to date on shows or catching up with friends.
"Folks...Due to the extreme heat, we are asking anyone thinking of conducting criminal activity to hold off," the post read. "It is straight up H-O-T and humid. Criminal activity in this kind of heat is next level henchmen status, and also VERY dangerous for everyone involved. Stay home, blast the AC, binge watch Netflix, scroll the BeReals, or check on your old friends with the FaceTime. But seriously, let's meet again when it's cooler. Sincerely, Your Friends in Green."
The sheriff's office included a photo of a person taking a nap inside of an open refrigerator to beat the heat.
The National Weather Service defines the heat index as "what the temperature feels like to the human body when relative humidity is combined with the air temperature." The actual temperatures in Florida recently have been around the mid-to-high 90s but are exacerbated when mixed with harsh humidity in the air.
Folks...Due to the extreme heat🥵, we are asking anyone thinking of conducting criminal activity to 𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙤𝙛𝙛 ✋. It is straight up H-O-T and humid. Criminal activity in this kind of heat is next level...
Hardee County, along with the neighboring DeSoto and Manatee Counties, was over the weekend part of what the Miami Herald called "a hellish doughnut hole of heat," with a circular region over the three counties showing a much higher heat index than nearby areas.
According to experts, the severe temperatures in Florida can be blamed on a "heat dome" phenomenon, which is preventing parts of the state from cooling off overnight, as they typically would.
Newsweek reached out to experts at AccuWeather for comment.
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