Weather service puts Brevard County at 'major heat risk'; 110-degree heat index this weekend
A heat advisory was issued for Brevard County and the surrounding areas of Central Florida on July 18 as National Weather Service meteorologists warn of above-normal temperatures heading into the weekend.
Forecasts put Brevard County at a Level 3 of 4 for major heat risk, with even hotter weather on its way.
Robert Haley, a meteorologist at the NWS in Melbourne, said high pressure aloft is pushing hot air down and making surface temperatures hotter, including a 108-degree heat index on Friday and up to 110-degree heat index on Saturday and Sunday. Temperatures could remain in the 100s through Monday, July 21.
Haley added that the high heat conditions can cause heat-related illnesses for anyone outside for extended periods of time. He advised Central Florida residents to drink plenty of water, limit time outside during the hottest times of the day, limit strenuous activity in the heat, and to never leave children or pets unattended in vehicles or outside.
Hundreds rally at Melbourne 'Good Trouble' protest on anniversary of Rep. John Lewis' death
Hundreds showed up in Melbourne to be part of "Good Trouble," a wave of protests taking place nationwide on July 17 and one in an ongoing series of rallies denouncing President Donald Trump and his administration's policies.
Protesters lined the intersection of U.S. 192 and Evans Road calling out the 47th president vocally and on signs. They voiced concerns about various issues, including immigration, healthcare cuts, and threats to democracy.
Organizers said an estimated 500 people showed up for the demonstration, which was planned to fall on the fifth anniversary of the death of civil rights icon and U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Georgia.
Lewis, who was arrested multiple times for civil disobedience in the 1960s, coined the phrase "good trouble," in 2018, in a tweet telling people to not be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble.
Will Florida's Space Coast surpass 100 annual rocket launches for 1st time this year?
During 2024, a record-shattering 93 launches took flight from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's neighboring Kennedy Space Center, easily passing the previous record of 72 launches in 2023.
But in an unprecedented cadence, 61 launches have already racked up thus far during 2025. That's a full month and a half ahead of last year's record pace.
The increase in pace of launches can be attributed to the growing number of internet satellite constellations being sent into Earth’s orbit.
In the Cape's 61st liftoff of the year thus far, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched 24 Amazon Project Kuiper internet-beaming satellites into low-Earth orbit on the KF-01 mission Wednesday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Project Kuiper is Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' competitor to Elon Musk's Starlink.
By comparison, Florida's 61st launch of 2024 did not occur until Labor Day weekend, on Aug. 28.
Is there a bear hunt in Florida? Here’s where, what to know about it
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is preparing to launch the state’s first bear hunting season in a decade. After requesting public feedback and deciding on a proposal for a three-week season in December, FWC commissioners will vote on it during their Aug. 13-14 meeting in Havana.
But this one will be a much more limited hunt than the last one a decade ago, which drew public outcry after nearly 300 bears were killed by the second day.
This time, rather than having a numerical goal of bears, the FWC will issue a total of 187 permit tags across 31 counties, divided in four Bear Management Units across the state, with each tag allowing a hunter to kill one bear. Permits would be issued randomly to paid applicants through a lottery system.
Hunters must attach their tag to the bear immediately after the kill and report it to FWC within 24 hours so biologists can collect DNA and other data.