WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.680 Welcome to the Meteorology Matters podcast. And 00:00:02.680 --> 00:00:05.179 wow, what an absolutely scorching topic we have 00:00:05.179 --> 00:00:06.820 today. Quite literally, we're talking about a 00:00:06.820 --> 00:00:09.080 truly historic moment, something that happened 00:00:09.080 --> 00:00:13.279 just yesterday, Sunday, July 27, 2025, down in 00:00:13.279 --> 00:00:16.920 Tampa, Florida. For the very first time in recorded 00:00:16.920 --> 00:00:20.800 history, the city officially, officially hit 00:00:20.800 --> 00:00:23.679 100 degrees Fahrenheit. That's right. A milestone 00:00:23.679 --> 00:00:26.179 nobody really wanted to see. But meteorologically, 00:00:26.679 --> 00:00:28.780 incredibly significant. Exactly. Now you might 00:00:28.780 --> 00:00:30.879 be thinking, OK, Florida in July, it's always 00:00:30.879 --> 00:00:33.060 hot, right? Sounds kind of normal. But here's 00:00:33.060 --> 00:00:35.000 where it gets really interesting and why we're 00:00:35.000 --> 00:00:37.399 diving deep today. We're going to unpack why 00:00:37.399 --> 00:00:41.340 this specific 100 degree reading is such a massive 00:00:41.340 --> 00:00:43.240 deal for Tampa and really for the whole Florida 00:00:43.240 --> 00:00:45.420 peninsula. We'll look at what caused it, the 00:00:45.420 --> 00:00:46.979 mechanics behind it, and what it tells us about 00:00:46.979 --> 00:00:49.140 bigger weather patterns, maybe even climate change, 00:00:49.280 --> 00:00:51.500 and how it affects our daily lives. Ready to 00:00:51.500 --> 00:00:53.960 unravel this with me. Absolutely. There's a lot 00:00:53.960 --> 00:00:56.119 to unpack here. It's more than just a number 00:00:56.119 --> 00:00:58.340 on a thermometer. It's a story about geography, 00:00:58.899 --> 00:01:01.899 atmosphere, and well, changing times. Okay, let's 00:01:01.899 --> 00:01:04.480 start by just letting that sink in. This record. 00:01:05.099 --> 00:01:07.900 It's not just like a new high for the day. This 00:01:07.900 --> 00:01:11.159 is the all -time high. A mark that in over a 00:01:11.159 --> 00:01:15.280 century, 135 years of keeping track. Tampa had 00:01:15.280 --> 00:01:17.920 never reached before. Never. Think about that. 00:01:18.040 --> 00:01:20.500 All the heat waves, all the summer since 1890, 00:01:21.140 --> 00:01:23.719 nothing officially hit 100 until yesterday. So 00:01:23.719 --> 00:01:27.879 the specifics. Yesterday, Sunday, July 27, 2025, 00:01:28.459 --> 00:01:32.019 the time was 3 -4 -30 p .m. and the thermometer 00:01:32.019 --> 00:01:34.859 at the official site read 100 degrees Fahrenheit. 00:01:35.040 --> 00:01:37.239 And that just smashed the previous all -time 00:01:37.239 --> 00:01:40.099 record. That was 99 degrees set back on June 00:01:40.099 --> 00:01:42.920 26, 2020. Which felt extreme at the time, but 00:01:42.920 --> 00:01:45.400 yesterday just pushed past it. It did. And you 00:01:45.400 --> 00:01:46.780 mentioned the official site. This measurement 00:01:46.780 --> 00:01:48.359 was taken at the air tour, right? That's where 00:01:48.359 --> 00:01:50.319 the National Weather Service office is down in 00:01:50.319 --> 00:01:52.400 Ruskin. Correct. That's the standard for official 00:01:52.400 --> 00:01:54.939 records. But it makes you wonder, in the really 00:01:54.939 --> 00:01:57.200 built up parts of Tampa, you know, downtown, 00:01:57.799 --> 00:02:00.120 with all the concrete and asphalt, it wouldn't 00:02:00.120 --> 00:02:01.980 be surprising if it's even hotter there, right? 00:02:02.140 --> 00:02:04.689 Oh, almost certainly. Urban heat islands are 00:02:04.689 --> 00:02:07.890 a real phenomenon. Those areas absorb and radiate 00:02:07.890 --> 00:02:11.229 heat much more effectively. So yeah, 100 at the 00:02:11.229 --> 00:02:13.770 airport likely means several degrees hotter in 00:02:13.770 --> 00:02:15.949 some neighborhoods. OK, so the air hits 100. 00:02:16.830 --> 00:02:19.550 But maybe even more shocking, or at least just 00:02:19.550 --> 00:02:23.169 as bad, was the feels like temperature, the heat 00:02:23.169 --> 00:02:25.939 index. Uh huh. That's where the humidity really 00:02:25.939 --> 00:02:28.199 kicks in. When that 100 degree air temperature 00:02:28.199 --> 00:02:30.620 was recorded, what did it feel like? An oppressive 00:02:30.620 --> 00:02:33.800 115 degrees Fahrenheit. That's the heat index 00:02:33.800 --> 00:02:39.039 reading. 115, that's dangerous territory. Absolutely 00:02:39.039 --> 00:02:41.520 dangerous. That combination of extreme heat and 00:02:41.520 --> 00:02:43.800 high humidity makes it incredibly difficult for 00:02:43.800 --> 00:02:46.400 the human body to cool itself down. It's a serious 00:02:46.400 --> 00:02:48.520 health risk. It really puts the 100 degree number 00:02:48.520 --> 00:02:52.180 in perspective. It's bad, but the 115 feels like 00:02:52.180 --> 00:02:54.960 is brutal. It really is. And what's fascinating 00:02:54.960 --> 00:02:57.500 or maybe concerning is that Tampa wasn't entirely 00:02:57.500 --> 00:03:00.000 alone in this extreme heat yesterday, even if 00:03:00.000 --> 00:03:02.060 it's 100 degree mark stole the headlines. Oh, 00:03:02.060 --> 00:03:03.580 really? What else was happening? Well, if you 00:03:03.580 --> 00:03:05.840 look a bit further south, Fort Myers tied its 00:03:05.840 --> 00:03:08.479 daily record high. It hit 97 degrees Fahrenheit 00:03:08.479 --> 00:03:11.599 yesterday. OK, tied its daily record. And Naples, 00:03:11.960 --> 00:03:14.159 just a bit south of Fort Myers, actually set 00:03:14.159 --> 00:03:17.979 a new daily record high with 98 degrees. 98. 00:03:18.340 --> 00:03:20.460 So the heat was widespread across that part of 00:03:20.460 --> 00:03:24.219 Florida. Definitely. It points to a larger atmospheric 00:03:24.219 --> 00:03:26.960 pattern setting up shop over the region, really 00:03:26.960 --> 00:03:29.599 conducive to these very high temperatures. And 00:03:29.599 --> 00:03:32.039 you know, to put Tampa's 100 degrees into even 00:03:32.039 --> 00:03:34.719 more context, let's compare it to some other 00:03:34.719 --> 00:03:38.300 Florida records. OK. The hottest ever recorded 00:03:38.300 --> 00:03:40.719 in Fort Myers, for instance, was actually 103 00:03:40.719 --> 00:03:44.639 degrees. Wow. 103. Yeah, but that was way back. 00:03:44.860 --> 00:03:48.240 June 16th and 17th, 1981. Two days in a row. 00:03:48.520 --> 00:03:50.599 And even with that record, Fort Myers has only 00:03:50.599 --> 00:03:53.300 hit 100 degrees or more on just 12 days total 00:03:53.300 --> 00:03:56.219 since their record started in 1902. Only 12 days 00:03:56.219 --> 00:03:59.460 above 100 in over 120 years. That's surprisingly 00:03:59.460 --> 00:04:01.840 rare. It is for that coastal area, yeah. Now, 00:04:02.120 --> 00:04:04.180 the absolute hottest temperature anywhere in 00:04:04.180 --> 00:04:06.120 Florida, the state record. Where was that? Up 00:04:06.120 --> 00:04:09.199 north somewhere. Exactly. Montetello, which is 00:04:09.199 --> 00:04:11.479 east of Tallahassee, up in the Panhandle area, 00:04:11.840 --> 00:04:16.040 they hit a staggering 109 degrees back on June 00:04:16.040 --> 00:04:20.860 29th, 1931. 109. OK, so clearly other parts of 00:04:20.860 --> 00:04:23.019 Florida have been hotter than 100. They have. 00:04:23.199 --> 00:04:24.879 Which brings us back to that central question. 00:04:25.560 --> 00:04:27.779 Why is Tampa hitting 100 degrees such a big deal? 00:04:28.220 --> 00:04:31.519 Why is it a first in 135 years when other places, 00:04:31.879 --> 00:04:34.379 even other places in Florida, have seen higher? 00:04:34.560 --> 00:04:37.310 It feels a bit counterintuitive. It does, doesn't 00:04:37.310 --> 00:04:40.029 it? Because we all think Florida, July, it must 00:04:40.029 --> 00:04:42.870 hit 100 all the time. But for Tampa, and much 00:04:42.870 --> 00:04:45.410 the peninsula, it's remarkably rare. So what's 00:04:45.410 --> 00:04:47.610 the secret? Why the difference? It really comes 00:04:47.610 --> 00:04:50.449 down to Florida's unique geography, particularly 00:04:50.449 --> 00:04:52.930 the peninsula. How so? Well, think about it. 00:04:53.250 --> 00:04:55.730 The Florida peninsula is, relatively speaking, 00:04:55.970 --> 00:04:58.029 quite narrow. Almost anywhere you are, you're 00:04:58.029 --> 00:05:00.209 not that far from a huge body of water, either 00:05:00.209 --> 00:05:02.149 the Atlantic Ocean on the east or the Gulf of 00:05:02.149 --> 00:05:04.069 Mexico on the west. Right, surrounded by water. 00:05:04.220 --> 00:05:07.439 Exactly. And that proximity, especially to the 00:05:07.439 --> 00:05:10.920 Gulf for Tampa Bay, has a massive moderating 00:05:10.920 --> 00:05:13.560 influence on the local weather and climate. It's 00:05:13.560 --> 00:05:16.500 probably the single biggest factor keeping temperatures 00:05:16.500 --> 00:05:18.680 from routinely soaring into the triple digits. 00:05:18.959 --> 00:05:21.120 OK, how does the water do that just by being 00:05:21.120 --> 00:05:23.540 cooler? Pretty much. Yeah. Water has a much, 00:05:23.620 --> 00:05:26.360 much higher heat capacity than land. Heat capacity. 00:05:26.800 --> 00:05:28.720 Meaning? Meaning it takes a lot more energy to 00:05:28.720 --> 00:05:31.379 heat water up and it also cools down much more 00:05:31.379 --> 00:05:34.620 slowly than land does. Think about a beach day 00:05:34.620 --> 00:05:38.279 in, say, May. You walk on the sand, right, and 00:05:38.279 --> 00:05:40.560 it's scorching hot, burns your feet. Definitely. 00:05:40.660 --> 00:05:43.019 But then you step into the ocean water just feet 00:05:43.019 --> 00:05:46.519 away, and it's still really cool, maybe even 00:05:46.519 --> 00:05:48.519 cold. Yeah, always takes a minute to get used 00:05:48.519 --> 00:05:50.839 to it. Right. That's heat capacity in action. 00:05:51.040 --> 00:05:53.540 The land heats up fast. The water heats up slow. 00:05:53.879 --> 00:05:56.259 And because of that, coastal locations generally 00:05:56.259 --> 00:05:58.360 have smaller temperature ranges. They don't get 00:05:58.360 --> 00:06:01.000 as blazing hot or as bitterly cold as inland 00:06:01.000 --> 00:06:03.620 areas typically do. I see. So the Gulf acts like 00:06:03.620 --> 00:06:06.740 a giant temperature regulator for Tampa. Precisely. 00:06:06.740 --> 00:06:09.560 And this leads to one of the most important weather 00:06:09.560 --> 00:06:13.000 features in Florida, the sea breeze. Ah, the 00:06:13.000 --> 00:06:16.199 afternoon sea breeze. Savior of many a hot day. 00:06:16.519 --> 00:06:19.639 Absolutely. Here's how it works. During the day, 00:06:19.800 --> 00:06:22.100 the land heats up faster than the Gulf. The air 00:06:22.100 --> 00:06:25.019 over the land gets hot, expands, becomes less 00:06:25.019 --> 00:06:27.560 dense, and starts to rise. This creates slightly 00:06:27.560 --> 00:06:30.319 lower pressure over the land. Nature doesn't 00:06:30.319 --> 00:06:33.019 like pressure differences, so the cooler, denser 00:06:33.019 --> 00:06:35.759 air sitting over the relatively cooler Gulf water 00:06:35.759 --> 00:06:38.199 rushes inland to fill that lower pressure area. 00:06:38.480 --> 00:06:40.600 That's your sea breeze. So it's literally the 00:06:40.600 --> 00:06:43.180 ocean breathing cool air onto the land. Kind 00:06:43.180 --> 00:06:45.339 of, yeah. And it's not just cooler air, it brings 00:06:45.339 --> 00:06:48.139 moisture with it too. As that moist air moves 00:06:48.110 --> 00:06:50.470 inland and gets heated by the hot land, it also 00:06:50.470 --> 00:06:52.949 starts to rise, forms clouds. And then the famous 00:06:52.949 --> 00:06:55.670 Florida afternoon thunderstorm. Exactly. Those 00:06:55.670 --> 00:06:58.329 pop -up storms are classic sea breeze storms. 00:06:58.529 --> 00:07:01.350 They provide shade, obviously, but the rain itself 00:07:01.350 --> 00:07:03.430 also cools the air. And there's even cooling 00:07:03.430 --> 00:07:05.949 from evaporation after the rain stops. It's a 00:07:05.949 --> 00:07:08.129 natural air conditioner. So normally the sea 00:07:08.129 --> 00:07:10.730 breeze kicks in, maybe triggers a storm, and 00:07:10.730 --> 00:07:12.529 keeps things from getting too crazy hot, like 00:07:12.529 --> 00:07:14.709 hitting 100. That's the typical pattern, yes. 00:07:14.750 --> 00:07:17.290 It usually prevents temperatures from soaring 00:07:17.319 --> 00:07:20.079 much past the mid -90s along the immediate coast 00:07:20.079 --> 00:07:22.660 and slightly inland. OK, but then there's humidity. 00:07:22.879 --> 00:07:24.939 Florida's famous for it. You said the heat index 00:07:24.939 --> 00:07:28.160 was 115 yesterday. Doesn't the humidity make 00:07:28.160 --> 00:07:30.980 the air temperature hotter, too? Ah, this is 00:07:30.980 --> 00:07:33.180 where it gets interesting and a bit counterintuitive, 00:07:33.319 --> 00:07:36.060 like you said earlier. While humidity absolutely 00:07:36.060 --> 00:07:38.379 makes it feel much hotter, that's the heat index, 00:07:38.920 --> 00:07:41.100 how our bodies perceive the heat and struggle 00:07:41.100 --> 00:07:44.470 to cool via sweat. Right. The humidity itself 00:07:44.470 --> 00:07:47.589 actually tends to suppress the actual air temperature 00:07:47.589 --> 00:07:50.430 a bit. Really? How? Well, think of it this way. 00:07:50.750 --> 00:07:52.810 It takes more energy to heat up moist air than 00:07:52.810 --> 00:07:55.870 dry air. Water vapor absorbs some of that heat 00:07:55.870 --> 00:07:58.610 energy. Plus, all that moisture in the air is 00:07:58.610 --> 00:08:00.569 fuel for cloud development and those cooling 00:08:00.569 --> 00:08:02.810 thunderstorms we just talked about. So the same 00:08:02.810 --> 00:08:04.670 thing that makes it feel miserable also usually 00:08:04.670 --> 00:08:06.889 stops the thermometer itself from hitting 100. 00:08:07.089 --> 00:08:09.689 In coastal Florida, generally, yes. It creates 00:08:09.689 --> 00:08:12.819 these very humid conditions that... paradoxically, 00:08:13.040 --> 00:08:15.600 tend to cap the actual air temperature somewhere 00:08:15.600 --> 00:08:18.519 around 95 degrees Fahrenheit in central Florida, 00:08:18.860 --> 00:08:21.259 even while the heat index is soaring well above 00:08:21.259 --> 00:08:24.399 100. Wow. OK. There was a quote from meteorologist 00:08:24.399 --> 00:08:26.199 Marshall Shepherd you mentioned. Yeah, he put 00:08:26.199 --> 00:08:28.339 it really well. He said, essentially, central 00:08:28.339 --> 00:08:31.300 Florida always feels hot in July, and it is, 00:08:31.500 --> 00:08:34.059 but it has never hit an official air temperature 00:08:34.059 --> 00:08:36.620 recorded in triple digits. The average high is 00:08:36.620 --> 00:08:40.519 in the low 90s. Temperatures rarely exceed 95 00:08:40.519 --> 00:08:43.399 degrees F, but the humidity can certainly elevate 00:08:43.399 --> 00:08:46.580 the feels like apparent temperature or heat index 00:08:46.580 --> 00:08:49.460 above 100 degrees F. That perfectly sums it up. 00:08:49.639 --> 00:08:52.259 It feels like 100 plus F, but the actual thermometer 00:08:52.259 --> 00:08:55.940 usually stops short. Until yesterday. Until yesterday. 00:08:56.179 --> 00:08:58.340 Yesterday, something broke that usual pattern. 00:08:58.720 --> 00:09:00.860 Something overwhelmed those natural moderating 00:09:00.860 --> 00:09:03.299 forces. Which leads us to the big question. What? 00:09:03.710 --> 00:09:06.870 Was that something? What caused this specific 00:09:06.870 --> 00:09:09.509 event? I've heard the term heat dome thrown around 00:09:09.509 --> 00:09:11.529 a lot in the news. Is that what happened? That's 00:09:11.529 --> 00:09:13.809 the term the public often hears, yeah. And it 00:09:13.809 --> 00:09:16.230 paints a decent picture, but meteorologists, 00:09:16.509 --> 00:09:18.929 like Marshall Shepard again, often prefer to 00:09:18.929 --> 00:09:21.250 describe it using the underlying physics. Okay, 00:09:21.289 --> 00:09:24.190 so what's the physics behind it? What is a heat 00:09:24.190 --> 00:09:27.389 dome, meteorologically speaking? Shepard describes 00:09:27.389 --> 00:09:29.929 it as an extensive area of high pressure and 00:09:29.929 --> 00:09:33.190 warm temperatures. It's basically a big, strong 00:09:33.190 --> 00:09:35.549 ridge of high pressure in the upper atmosphere 00:09:35.549 --> 00:09:38.509 that settles over an area. High pressure, okay. 00:09:38.950 --> 00:09:40.909 Doesn't high pressure usually mean nice weather? 00:09:41.690 --> 00:09:44.190 Sunny skies. It often does mean sunny skies, 00:09:44.409 --> 00:09:47.049 yes, but in the summer, under a strong high like 00:09:47.049 --> 00:09:49.850 this, it means something else too. Sinking air. 00:09:50.070 --> 00:09:52.289 Sinking air? Yeah. Within a high pressure system, 00:09:52.549 --> 00:09:55.669 the air aloft slowly sinks towards the ground. 00:09:55.950 --> 00:09:58.950 It subsides. And as that air sinks, it gets compressed 00:09:58.950 --> 00:10:00.629 by the weight of the air above it. Compressed 00:10:00.629 --> 00:10:03.389 like pumping up a bike tire. It gets hot. Exactly 00:10:03.389 --> 00:10:05.429 like that. That's called adiabatic compression. 00:10:05.789 --> 00:10:07.870 As the air sinks and gets compressed, it warms 00:10:07.870 --> 00:10:10.990 up significantly. Even without the sun, the sinking 00:10:10.990 --> 00:10:13.909 itself heats the air column. Wow. So the air 00:10:13.909 --> 00:10:15.990 is heating up from above as well as from the 00:10:15.990 --> 00:10:20.389 sun below. Precisely. And crucially, this sinking 00:10:20.389 --> 00:10:23.600 air does something else. It suppresses rising 00:10:23.600 --> 00:10:26.460 air motion. And rising air is needed for? Clouds 00:10:26.460 --> 00:10:29.179 and rain. Thunderstorms. Remember our natural 00:10:29.179 --> 00:10:31.840 air conditioner? Right. The sea breeze storms. 00:10:32.159 --> 00:10:34.399 If you have large -scale sinking air due to this 00:10:34.399 --> 00:10:36.740 high pressure dome, it puts a lid on convection. 00:10:37.100 --> 00:10:39.639 It makes it much harder for those cooling afternoon 00:10:39.639 --> 00:10:42.379 thunderstorms to develop and pop up. Ah, I see. 00:10:42.519 --> 00:10:44.639 So you lose the clouds, you lose the rain, you 00:10:44.639 --> 00:10:46.740 lose that cooling effect, and the sinking air 00:10:46.740 --> 00:10:49.019 itself is warming things up. You got it. It's 00:10:49.019 --> 00:10:52.470 a setup for extreme heat. Less cloud cover means 00:10:52.470 --> 00:10:54.769 more direct sunshine hitting the ground, heating 00:10:54.769 --> 00:10:57.970 it intensely. The sinking air warms the atmosphere. 00:10:58.509 --> 00:11:00.450 And without the usual storms to provide relief, 00:11:00.769 --> 00:11:03.389 the heat just builds and builds. And this heat 00:11:03.389 --> 00:11:06.320 dome, this area of high pressure. Where did it 00:11:06.320 --> 00:11:08.120 come from, and how long is it sticking around? 00:11:08.320 --> 00:11:11.080 Well, this particular massive dome of high pressure 00:11:11.080 --> 00:11:13.720 shifted into the southeast U .S. recently. It's 00:11:13.720 --> 00:11:15.799 been responsible for potentially record -breaking 00:11:15.799 --> 00:11:18.379 historically hot conditions across a pretty wide 00:11:18.379 --> 00:11:20.379 area, not just Florida. Right. You mentioned 00:11:20.379 --> 00:11:23.779 Naples and Fort Myers also had records. Exactly. 00:11:24.200 --> 00:11:26.940 And we've seen extreme heat warnings posted today, 00:11:27.159 --> 00:11:29.840 Monday the 28th, for parts of the Carolinas, 00:11:29.940 --> 00:11:32.240 Georgia, and northern Florida too. So it's a 00:11:32.240 --> 00:11:35.370 big system. Is it moving out soon? Unfortunately, 00:11:35.629 --> 00:11:37.809 not immediately. These dangerous conditions are 00:11:37.809 --> 00:11:40.169 expected to stick around across many of these 00:11:40.169 --> 00:11:42.250 areas for several more days. The high pressure 00:11:42.250 --> 00:11:45.370 is pretty stubborn. So no relief in sight for 00:11:45.370 --> 00:11:48.250 a bit. The forecast suggests we might start to 00:11:48.250 --> 00:11:50.450 see it lift or shift towards the end of the work 00:11:50.450 --> 00:11:53.309 week. Relief isn't really expected until maybe 00:11:53.309 --> 00:11:55.789 Friday. Friday? That's a long stretch of this 00:11:55.789 --> 00:11:58.590 kind of heat. It is. There's a cold front forecast 00:11:58.590 --> 00:12:01.169 to try and slowly push into the region by then. 00:12:01.610 --> 00:12:04.289 That should bring not just somewhat cooler temperatures, 00:12:04.629 --> 00:12:07.009 hopefully, but also, importantly, an increased 00:12:07.009 --> 00:12:10.090 chance of rain. Finally. Some rain would be welcome, 00:12:10.090 --> 00:12:12.549 I bet. Definitely. But until then, this high 00:12:12.549 --> 00:12:14.649 -pressure dome is just going to sit and bake 00:12:14.649 --> 00:12:17.049 the region. OK, so we have this large -scale 00:12:17.049 --> 00:12:20.230 heat dome. But you also hinted that maybe some 00:12:20.230 --> 00:12:22.190 local factors in Tampa Bay might have made things 00:12:22.190 --> 00:12:24.269 even worse, kind of preconditioned the area for 00:12:24.269 --> 00:12:26.769 this record. Yes, absolutely. This record didn't 00:12:26.769 --> 00:12:29.009 just happen in a vacuum. Tampa Bay has actually 00:12:29.009 --> 00:12:32.350 been running unusually warm all year, consistently 00:12:32.350 --> 00:12:34.570 above average. It's like the stage was already 00:12:34.570 --> 00:12:37.690 set. How so? What specific local conditions played 00:12:37.690 --> 00:12:40.629 a role? Well, A huge factor was how incredibly 00:12:40.629 --> 00:12:43.929 dry it's been recently. Looking back at May, 00:12:44.269 --> 00:12:47.649 just last month, May 2024 was not only record 00:12:47.649 --> 00:12:50.389 breaking hot for Tampa Bay, it was also exceptionally 00:12:50.389 --> 00:12:53.679 dry. Record hot AND dry. Yeah. Rainfall was way 00:12:53.679 --> 00:12:56.399 down. Only about an inch of rain fell the entire 00:12:56.399 --> 00:12:58.659 month compared to a normal average of around 00:12:58.659 --> 00:13:01.399 three inches. So just about a third of the usual 00:13:01.399 --> 00:13:03.820 rainfall. Wow, that's a big deficit. It is. And 00:13:03.820 --> 00:13:05.779 think about what that means. Without that usual 00:13:05.779 --> 00:13:08.460 rain, the ground gets parched. There's less moisture 00:13:08.460 --> 00:13:10.539 for evaporation, which is a cooling process. 00:13:10.860 --> 00:13:13.139 The soil just gets baked by the sun. Like turning 00:13:13.139 --> 00:13:15.379 the ground into a hot plate. Pretty much. And 00:13:15.379 --> 00:13:17.740 without those typical cooling summer storms firing 00:13:17.740 --> 00:13:19.700 up because of the dryness and other factors, 00:13:19.799 --> 00:13:22.340 there was just very little natural relief. The 00:13:22.340 --> 00:13:24.600 heat could build day after day. And you mentioned 00:13:24.600 --> 00:13:28.179 May was record hot too. Not just dry. Hottest 00:13:28.179 --> 00:13:31.039 May on record for both St. Petersburg and Tampa, 00:13:31.299 --> 00:13:35.159 yes. St. Pete was about 4 .5 degrees Fahrenheit 00:13:35.159 --> 00:13:38.000 above its normal average May temperature. Tampa 00:13:38.000 --> 00:13:40.639 was about 3 .5 degrees above its normal. Even 00:13:40.639 --> 00:13:43.580 Plant City, a bit inland, had its warmest May 00:13:43.580 --> 00:13:46.639 ever. These are significant departures. And it 00:13:46.639 --> 00:13:49.019 wasn't just daytime highs pushing that average 00:13:49.019 --> 00:13:52.110 up. No, that's a key point. Nighttime temperatures 00:13:52.110 --> 00:13:55.009 were also unusually high. When it doesn't cool 00:13:55.009 --> 00:13:57.529 down much overnight, the next day starts from 00:13:57.529 --> 00:14:00.230 a much warmer baseline. The heat accumulates 00:14:00.230 --> 00:14:02.909 more easily. It dramatically boosts the overall 00:14:02.909 --> 00:14:05.470 average temperature, even if the daytime peak 00:14:05.470 --> 00:14:07.750 isn't that much higher some days. Right. Less 00:14:07.750 --> 00:14:09.929 relief overnight means the heat just compounds. 00:14:10.389 --> 00:14:13.870 Exactly. So dry ground, warm nights. What about 00:14:13.870 --> 00:14:15.850 those missing thunderstorms? Why were they so 00:14:15.850 --> 00:14:18.679 scarce? leading up to this. A major player there 00:14:18.679 --> 00:14:21.279 is often the position and strength of the Bermuda 00:14:21.279 --> 00:14:23.559 High. The Bermuda High, I've heard of that. It's 00:14:23.559 --> 00:14:25.179 a big high pressure system out in the Atlantic, 00:14:25.340 --> 00:14:27.659 right? That's the one. It's a semi -permanent 00:14:27.659 --> 00:14:29.840 feature, but its exact position and strength 00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:32.500 varies, and that has a huge impact on Florida's 00:14:32.500 --> 00:14:34.500 weather, especially our summer wind patterns 00:14:34.500 --> 00:14:36.639 and thunderstorm activity. How does it affect 00:14:36.639 --> 00:14:39.399 the storms? Depending on where it sits, it can 00:14:39.399 --> 00:14:41.679 steer dry air over Florida or block the flow 00:14:41.679 --> 00:14:44.220 of moisture needed for storms or change the wind 00:14:44.220 --> 00:14:46.559 pattern so the sea breeze doesn't set up properly. 00:14:47.340 --> 00:14:49.659 Its position last year was a big reason why summer 00:14:49.659 --> 00:14:52.440 storms were often absent then, too. So it's influencing 00:14:52.440 --> 00:14:54.500 things again this year. It seems to be a factor, 00:14:54.720 --> 00:14:57.580 yes. Even though the official rainy season started 00:14:57.580 --> 00:15:00.440 back on May 25th, all the ingredients need to 00:15:00.440 --> 00:15:03.179 align just right. You need warm enough Gulf water. 00:15:03.419 --> 00:15:06.220 enough moisture in the air, and the Bermuda high 00:15:06.220 --> 00:15:09.360 in a favorable spot to get those consistent widespread 00:15:09.360 --> 00:15:11.259 daily storms going. And they haven't aligned 00:15:11.259 --> 00:15:14.299 yet. Not consistently enough. This week's forecast, 00:15:14.399 --> 00:15:17.559 even now, only shows about a 40 % chance of rain 00:15:17.559 --> 00:15:20.580 each day. That's OK. But it's not the kind of 00:15:20.580 --> 00:15:23.259 widespread soaking rain and cloud cover you need 00:15:23.259 --> 00:15:25.960 to really knock back this kind of extreme heat. 00:15:26.399 --> 00:15:29.539 40 % chance means 60 % chance it stays dry and 00:15:29.539 --> 00:15:31.700 sunny. Right, and that just allows the sun to 00:15:31.700 --> 00:15:34.120 keep baking the already dry land, perpetuating 00:15:34.120 --> 00:15:36.059 the heat cycle. Man, it sounds like a perfect 00:15:36.059 --> 00:15:39.840 storm. Or rather, a perfect lack of storms. setting 00:15:39.840 --> 00:15:42.460 up this record heat. It really was a confluence 00:15:42.460 --> 00:15:45.240 of factors, large -scale and local. Okay, we've 00:15:45.240 --> 00:15:47.580 talked about the air, the land being dry. What 00:15:47.580 --> 00:15:49.840 about the water itself? You mentioned the Gulf's 00:15:49.840 --> 00:15:51.419 influence. Has that been warming up too? Oh, 00:15:51.440 --> 00:15:53.620 absolutely. That's another critical piece of 00:15:53.620 --> 00:15:55.860 the puzzle. It's not just the air. The water 00:15:55.860 --> 00:15:58.059 around Florida, especially the Gulf of Mexico, 00:15:58.340 --> 00:16:01.139 is exceptionally warm right now. How warm are 00:16:01.139 --> 00:16:03.879 we talking? Back in May, we were already seeing 00:16:03.879 --> 00:16:06.059 water temperatures near the coast from the beaches 00:16:06.059 --> 00:16:09.080 into Tampa Bay itself, topping 90 degrees Fahrenheit. 00:16:09.320 --> 00:16:13.539 90 degrees for the water temp. In May. Yes. Clearwater 00:16:13.539 --> 00:16:17.379 Beach hit 90 .7 on May 29th. Near Port Manatee 00:16:17.379 --> 00:16:20.960 in southern Tampa Bay, it reached 91 .2 degrees 00:16:20.960 --> 00:16:23.620 that same day. Wow. How does that compare to 00:16:23.620 --> 00:16:25.820 normal or even last year? Significantly hotter. 00:16:26.029 --> 00:16:28.070 Those readings were several degrees warmer than 00:16:28.070 --> 00:16:30.610 the same time last year. For example, Clearwater 00:16:30.610 --> 00:16:33.409 Beach was around 84 degrees that same week in 00:16:33.409 --> 00:16:36.370 2023. So a big jump. A seven degree difference 00:16:36.370 --> 00:16:39.159 in water temp. That's huge. It is, and maybe 00:16:39.159 --> 00:16:41.139 even more important than the surface temperature 00:16:41.139 --> 00:16:43.679 is the ocean heat content. Ocean heat content. 00:16:43.840 --> 00:16:46.059 Okay, what's that? That measures the total amount 00:16:46.059 --> 00:16:48.840 of heat stored in the upper layer of the ocean. 00:16:49.179 --> 00:16:51.360 Not just the very surface skin temperature, but 00:16:51.360 --> 00:16:54.580 down deeper. It's a better indicator of the total 00:16:54.580 --> 00:16:56.960 energy available in the water. And how's that 00:16:56.960 --> 00:17:00.309 looking? As of mid -May, the Gulf's ocean heat 00:17:00.309 --> 00:17:02.710 content was the highest it's been for that time 00:17:02.710 --> 00:17:04.970 of year since they started keeping detailed records 00:17:04.970 --> 00:17:07.329 over a decade ago. The highest ever recorded 00:17:07.329 --> 00:17:10.130 for mid -May. Correct. There's an enormous amount 00:17:10.130 --> 00:17:12.210 of heat energy stored in the Gulf right now. 00:17:12.390 --> 00:17:14.609 What's putting all that heat there? Well, part 00:17:14.609 --> 00:17:17.430 of it is the general warming trend, but recently 00:17:17.430 --> 00:17:20.950 there's been a specific feature, an ocean eddy. 00:17:21.150 --> 00:17:23.650 Think of it like a big swirling current of water. 00:17:23.980 --> 00:17:27.319 This eddy has basically siphoned a patch of unusually 00:17:27.319 --> 00:17:30.240 hot water into the eastern gulf. Like a warm 00:17:30.240 --> 00:17:33.680 whirlpool. Sort of, yeah. And while shallow water 00:17:33.680 --> 00:17:36.180 heat can fuel rapid intensification of storms, 00:17:36.400 --> 00:17:38.220 like we saw with Hurricane Adelia last year, 00:17:38.799 --> 00:17:42.480 these deep pools of very warm water from eddies 00:17:42.480 --> 00:17:46.000 provide a more sustained, powerful fuel source 00:17:46.000 --> 00:17:49.690 for any storm that might track over them. more 00:17:49.690 --> 00:17:51.730 fuel for potential hurricanes later in the season. 00:17:51.990 --> 00:17:54.289 That's certainly a concern, yes. And for the 00:17:54.289 --> 00:17:56.289 daily weather, remember we need the offshore 00:17:56.289 --> 00:17:59.380 water to get to about 82 degrees for those reliable 00:17:59.380 --> 00:18:01.660 summer rain patterns. Yeah. It's pretty much 00:18:01.660 --> 00:18:03.859 there now, indicating conditions are becoming 00:18:03.859 --> 00:18:06.599 more favorable for rain, but it also means the 00:18:06.599 --> 00:18:09.539 water is very warm overall. And is more warm 00:18:09.539 --> 00:18:12.380 water coming? It looks like it. Projections show 00:18:12.380 --> 00:18:14.960 that record hot water from the Atlantic is expected 00:18:14.960 --> 00:18:17.579 to sweep into the Gulf in the coming weeks, which 00:18:17.579 --> 00:18:19.700 will likely further warm the Gulf's surface. 00:18:20.039 --> 00:18:22.019 The Gulf is already super warm. and it might 00:18:22.019 --> 00:18:24.799 get warmer still. How does that directly contribute 00:18:24.799 --> 00:18:27.339 to the heat on land, like Tampa's 100 degrees, 00:18:27.759 --> 00:18:30.000 besides just maybe weakening the sea breeze a 00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:32.079 bit? Well, some of it is just direct heating. 00:18:32.259 --> 00:18:34.839 A lot of the really warm, near shore water we're 00:18:34.839 --> 00:18:36.819 seeing right now could simply be because it's 00:18:36.819 --> 00:18:40.319 been so dry and sunny lately. With fewer clouds 00:18:40.319 --> 00:18:43.900 and less rain, the sun just gets to, well, as 00:18:43.900 --> 00:18:45.920 one expert put it, the ocean just gets to cook. 00:18:46.099 --> 00:18:48.539 The ocean gets to cook. That's a vivid image, 00:18:48.720 --> 00:18:51.950 isn't it? So you have this feedback loop. Hot. 00:18:52.089 --> 00:18:55.710 dry air allows the sun to bake the land and the 00:18:55.710 --> 00:18:58.269 water. The warm water then makes the air more 00:18:58.269 --> 00:19:00.529 humid and potentially warmer and might not provide 00:19:00.529 --> 00:19:03.069 as strong a cooling sea breeze. It all works 00:19:03.069 --> 00:19:05.430 together. It really paints a picture of how all 00:19:05.430 --> 00:19:08.109 these elements, the atmosphere, the land, the 00:19:08.109 --> 00:19:11.210 ocean were aligned perfectly or perhaps imperfectly 00:19:11.210 --> 00:19:13.750 from our perspective to create this record event. 00:19:14.190 --> 00:19:16.130 Precisely. So zooming out now, we've got the 00:19:16.130 --> 00:19:17.910 specifics of this event, the heat dome, the local 00:19:17.910 --> 00:19:20.170 factors, the warm Gulf. What does this all mean 00:19:20.170 --> 00:19:22.740 for the bigger picture? Is yesterday's 100 degree 00:19:22.740 --> 00:19:26.140 record in Tampa just a freak occurrence, an anomaly? 00:19:26.880 --> 00:19:28.900 Or is this a sign of something bigger, a part 00:19:28.900 --> 00:19:31.400 of that larger trend of increasing temperatures 00:19:31.400 --> 00:19:33.920 we hear about? That's the million dollar question, 00:19:33.980 --> 00:19:36.019 isn't it? And I think the overwhelming scientific 00:19:36.019 --> 00:19:38.799 consensus points towards the latter. This isn't 00:19:38.799 --> 00:19:41.460 just a random blip. It fits into a much broader 00:19:41.460 --> 00:19:44.819 pattern. OK. Knowledge is most valuable when 00:19:44.819 --> 00:19:47.079 we understand it and apply it. And understanding 00:19:47.079 --> 00:19:50.700 these long term trends is critical. Jen Brady, 00:19:50.980 --> 00:19:52.819 who's a senior data analyst at Climate Central, 00:19:52.980 --> 00:19:55.799 put it very plainly. Overall, it's getting hotter 00:19:55.799 --> 00:19:58.500 everywhere around the planet. Everywhere. Everywhere. 00:19:58.599 --> 00:20:00.880 She added, last year we had a record year in 00:20:00.880 --> 00:20:03.660 the U .S. The globe has been setting record after 00:20:03.660 --> 00:20:06.160 record after record year after year after year 00:20:06.160 --> 00:20:09.079 and the state of Florida has been among the hot 00:20:09.079 --> 00:20:10.859 spots within the U .S. as we're setting these 00:20:10.859 --> 00:20:13.269 records consistently. Record after record. That 00:20:13.269 --> 00:20:15.069 doesn't sound like random chance. Not at all. 00:20:15.289 --> 00:20:18.250 And the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 00:20:18.369 --> 00:20:21.890 NOAA, confirmed that last year the U .S. average 00:20:21.890 --> 00:20:24.650 temperature was 3 .5 degrees Fahrenheit above 00:20:24.650 --> 00:20:27.869 the 20th century average. That made it the nation's 00:20:27.869 --> 00:20:30.529 warmest year in their entire 130 year climate 00:20:30.529 --> 00:20:33.190 record. Warmest year on record for the U .S. 00:20:33.250 --> 00:20:36.170 Wow. And Florida's a hotspot within that. Yes. 00:20:36.430 --> 00:20:38.849 If you look specifically at Florida, the peninsula 00:20:38.849 --> 00:20:41.589 has warmed by more than one degree Fahrenheit 00:20:41.589 --> 00:20:44.769 just over the last century. OK, one degree. Sometimes 00:20:44.769 --> 00:20:46.750 that doesn't sound like a lot to people. It might 00:20:46.750 --> 00:20:48.890 not sound like much, but its impact is huge. 00:20:49.390 --> 00:20:52.230 Consider June temperatures. Over the past decade, 00:20:52.490 --> 00:20:56.170 Florida's average June temp has been 81 .5 degrees. 00:20:56.369 --> 00:21:00.650 The average since 1895 is 79 .9. So a degree 00:21:00.650 --> 00:21:02.990 and a half warmer on average just in the last 00:21:02.990 --> 00:21:05.049 10 years compared to the long term. compared 00:21:05.049 --> 00:21:08.190 to, say, 50 years ago. 50 years ago, Florida's 00:21:08.190 --> 00:21:10.529 average June temperature was a full two degrees 00:21:10.529 --> 00:21:12.450 cooler than it is today. Two degrees cooler? 00:21:12.670 --> 00:21:15.210 That's significant. It really is. And this past 00:21:15.210 --> 00:21:18.579 June... June 2025 was the 12th hottest June on 00:21:18.579 --> 00:21:21.799 record for Florida. June 2024 was the third hottest. 00:21:21.900 --> 00:21:23.740 You see the trend. Yeah, it's consistently pushing 00:21:23.740 --> 00:21:26.480 warmer. What about Tampa specifically? Same story. 00:21:26.660 --> 00:21:28.640 Tampa's average June temperature over the last 00:21:28.640 --> 00:21:31.440 10 years is 83 .7 degrees. The average since 00:21:31.440 --> 00:21:34.839 1890 is 81 .3. So almost two and a half degrees 00:21:34.839 --> 00:21:37.019 warmer on average in recent Junes compared to 00:21:37.019 --> 00:21:39.460 the long haul. Sir Soda shows similar increases 00:21:39.460 --> 00:21:42.059 too. So Jen Brady said even small temperature 00:21:42.059 --> 00:21:45.099 differences matter. Exactly. She said, even though 00:21:45.099 --> 00:21:47.140 they sound small, they can make a big difference 00:21:47.140 --> 00:21:49.759 in our way of life. How so? What kind of differences? 00:21:50.039 --> 00:21:52.500 Higher energy bills, obviously, as AC use goes 00:21:52.500 --> 00:21:55.460 up. Impacts on agriculture's stunted plant growth. 00:21:55.690 --> 00:21:59.789 changes in ecosystems, and paradoxically, sometimes 00:21:59.789 --> 00:22:02.289 even more intense rainfall when storms do happen 00:22:02.289 --> 00:22:04.789 because warmer air can hold more moisture, leading 00:22:04.789 --> 00:22:07.009 to heavier downpours. Right, more energy in the 00:22:07.009 --> 00:22:10.150 system. So what's driving this long -term warming 00:22:10.150 --> 00:22:13.210 trend? Is it just natural cycles? The scientific 00:22:13.210 --> 00:22:16.369 consensus is overwhelmingly clear on this. It's 00:22:16.369 --> 00:22:19.430 primarily driven by human activities, specifically 00:22:19.430 --> 00:22:21.910 the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. 00:22:22.400 --> 00:22:24.460 Like carbon dioxide? Carbon dioxide is the main 00:22:24.460 --> 00:22:26.700 one, yeah. Since the start of the Industrial 00:22:26.700 --> 00:22:29.240 Revolution in the late 1700s, human activities 00:22:29.240 --> 00:22:31.480 have increased the amount of CO2 in the air by 00:22:31.480 --> 00:22:35.019 about 40%. We've also increased other heat -trapping 00:22:35.019 --> 00:22:37.559 gases like methane and nitrous oxide. And where 00:22:37.559 --> 00:22:40.000 do these come from? Mostly from burning fossil 00:22:40.000 --> 00:22:42.519 fuels, coal, oil, and natural gas for things 00:22:42.519 --> 00:22:45.019 like transportation, generating electricity, 00:22:45.220 --> 00:22:48.180 and industrial processes. These gases act like 00:22:48.180 --> 00:22:50.140 a blanket around the earth. trapping heat that 00:22:50.140 --> 00:22:52.240 would otherwise escape into space, and that's 00:22:52.240 --> 00:22:54.339 accelerating global warming. And the oceans are 00:22:54.339 --> 00:22:56.140 involved too, right? You mentioned the warm Gulf. 00:22:56.279 --> 00:22:58.880 Hugely involved. The oceans have absorbed something 00:22:58.880 --> 00:23:01.700 like 90 % of the excess heat trapped by these 00:23:01.700 --> 00:23:04.319 greenhouse gases. That's why sea surface temperatures 00:23:04.319 --> 00:23:07.680 are rising globally, and why we see extreme examples 00:23:07.680 --> 00:23:10.279 like parts of the Gulf getting into the 90s, 00:23:10.279 --> 00:23:14.240 or even that potential record of 101 .1 degrees 00:23:14.240 --> 00:23:16.920 in Manatee Bay last year, basically hot tub temperatures. 00:23:17.059 --> 00:23:20.299 101 degrees? for seawater. Astonishing, isn't 00:23:20.299 --> 00:23:22.599 it? And of course, those warmer ocean temperatures 00:23:22.599 --> 00:23:24.839 also provide more fuel for hurricanes, which 00:23:24.839 --> 00:23:27.700 is a major concern for Florida. So yes, Tampa 00:23:27.700 --> 00:23:30.339 hitting 100 yesterday. While it was caused by 00:23:30.339 --> 00:23:32.559 specific weather patterns, it happened against 00:23:32.559 --> 00:23:35.119 the backdrop of this long -term human -caused 00:23:35.119 --> 00:23:37.940 warming trend that makes such extremes more likely. 00:23:38.400 --> 00:23:40.839 OK, that puts it into a very sobering context, 00:23:41.440 --> 00:23:43.779 which brings us really to the most immediate 00:23:43.779 --> 00:23:45.839 concern. Here's where it gets really personal, 00:23:45.839 --> 00:23:48.440 I think. Beyond the records, beyond the science. 00:23:49.019 --> 00:23:50.960 What does this kind of extreme heat actually 00:23:50.960 --> 00:23:53.599 mean for people, for us living here or visiting? 00:23:54.640 --> 00:23:57.359 What are the real -world impacts? This is maybe 00:23:57.359 --> 00:23:59.279 the most important part of the conversation, 00:23:59.380 --> 00:24:02.059 linking the meteorology to human health and safety. 00:24:02.599 --> 00:24:05.500 Because, as Jen Brady put it so starkly, heat 00:24:05.500 --> 00:24:08.059 is the biggest killer of all the weather phenomena. 00:24:08.180 --> 00:24:11.559 Bigger than hurricanes, tornadoes, floods? Statistically, 00:24:11.779 --> 00:24:14.039 yes. The National Weather Service confirms it 00:24:14.039 --> 00:24:16.690 on their website. Heat is the leading weather 00:24:16.690 --> 00:24:18.789 -related killer in the United States, resulting 00:24:18.789 --> 00:24:21.509 in hundreds of fatalities each year. It's a silent 00:24:21.509 --> 00:24:23.829 killer, often underestimated because it's not 00:24:23.829 --> 00:24:26.410 as visually dramatic. Hundreds of deaths every 00:24:26.410 --> 00:24:29.329 year just from heat. Yes. And beyond fatalities, 00:24:29.450 --> 00:24:32.509 it causes a huge range of health problems. High 00:24:32.509 --> 00:24:34.309 air temperatures, especially with high humidity 00:24:34.309 --> 00:24:36.950 like we had yesterday with that 115 heat index, 00:24:37.309 --> 00:24:39.430 can cause heat stroke, which is a life -threatening 00:24:39.430 --> 00:24:41.829 emergency and severe dehydration. What else does 00:24:41.829 --> 00:24:43.910 it do to the body? It puts immense strain on 00:24:43.910 --> 00:24:46.069 your cardiovascular system, your heart, and your 00:24:46.069 --> 00:24:48.309 nervous system as your body fights desperately 00:24:48.309 --> 00:24:51.589 to cool down. It can worsen existing conditions 00:24:51.589 --> 00:24:54.809 too, especially lung diseases like asthma or 00:24:54.809 --> 00:24:58.950 COPD. Breathing that hot, humid, often polluted 00:24:58.950 --> 00:25:01.869 air is incredibly difficult for people with respiratory 00:25:01.869 --> 00:25:04.009 issues. And exertion makes it worse, obviously. 00:25:04.230 --> 00:25:07.269 Massively worse. Even mild exertion can lead 00:25:07.269 --> 00:25:10.250 to heat cramps, then heat exhaustion, and ultimately 00:25:10.250 --> 00:25:12.950 heat stroke if you don't cool down and rehydrate. 00:25:13.329 --> 00:25:15.710 Are some people more at risk than others? Definitely. 00:25:15.829 --> 00:25:18.349 Certain groups are much more vulnerable. Young 00:25:18.349 --> 00:25:20.849 children and infants, their bodies can't regulate 00:25:20.849 --> 00:25:23.430 temperature as well. Older adults, same thing. 00:25:23.490 --> 00:25:25.569 Plus they might have underlying health conditions 00:25:25.569 --> 00:25:28.549 or not sense the heat as acutely. People with 00:25:28.549 --> 00:25:31.230 chronic medical conditions, heart disease, diabetes, 00:25:31.509 --> 00:25:34.049 kidney problems, pregnant people are also at 00:25:34.049 --> 00:25:36.390 higher risk. So basically anyone whose body is 00:25:36.390 --> 00:25:39.269 already under stress or less able to adapt. Exactly. 00:25:39.500 --> 00:25:41.700 And the official warnings usually say that a 00:25:41.700 --> 00:25:44.180 heat index over 110 degrees Fahrenheit, like 00:25:44.180 --> 00:25:46.700 we saw yesterday, is dangerous for anyone who 00:25:46.700 --> 00:25:49.160 doesn't have access to good cooling and plenty 00:25:49.160 --> 00:25:51.819 of fluids. It's not just the vulnerable groups 00:25:51.819 --> 00:25:54.019 at that level. It's potentially dangerous for 00:25:54.019 --> 00:25:56.319 everyone. That's why officials were opening cooling 00:25:56.319 --> 00:25:58.339 centers in places like the Carolinas recently. 00:25:58.640 --> 00:26:01.519 Precisely. They recommend people find air -conditioned 00:26:01.519 --> 00:26:05.000 spaces, wear loose, light clothing, drink lots 00:26:05.000 --> 00:26:07.380 of water, even if you don't feel thirsty, and 00:26:07.380 --> 00:26:10.740 crucially, avoid being outdoors and doing strenuous 00:26:10.740 --> 00:26:12.980 activity during the hottest part of the day, 00:26:13.059 --> 00:26:16.259 usually the afternoon. Common sense advice, but 00:26:16.259 --> 00:26:18.440 absolutely vital in these conditions. And looking 00:26:18.440 --> 00:26:21.000 ahead, you mentioned Florida might see many more 00:26:21.000 --> 00:26:23.539 days above 95 degrees in the future. Yeah, the 00:26:23.539 --> 00:26:25.720 projections are quite concerning. Some studies 00:26:25.720 --> 00:26:28.660 suggest that by late this century, say 70 years 00:26:28.660 --> 00:26:30.900 from now, most of Florida could experience between 00:26:30.900 --> 00:26:33.900 45 and 90 days per year with temperatures above 00:26:33.900 --> 00:26:37.339 95 degrees Fahrenheit. 45 to 90 days, compared 00:26:37.339 --> 00:26:41.259 to less than 15 now. Yes. Think about that potentially 00:26:41.259 --> 00:26:43.799 one to three months of that kind of heat being 00:26:43.799 --> 00:26:46.599 the norm each year. And with the humidity staying 00:26:46.599 --> 00:26:49.579 high or even increasing, the heat index during 00:26:49.579 --> 00:26:51.759 those periods would be consistently dangerous, 00:26:52.400 --> 00:26:55.119 significantly impacting health and daily life. 00:26:55.220 --> 00:26:57.220 That's hard to even imagine. A whole season of 00:26:57.220 --> 00:26:59.660 dangerous heat. It's a potential future we need 00:26:59.660 --> 00:27:01.740 to prepare for. And there's one more health aspect, 00:27:02.259 --> 00:27:05.470 too. Air quality. How does heat? affect air quality? 00:27:05.730 --> 00:27:08.069 Warmer air can actually increase the formation 00:27:08.069 --> 00:27:10.829 of ground -level ozone. That's the main ingredient 00:27:10.829 --> 00:27:14.109 in smog. Ozone irritates the lungs, worsens asthma, 00:27:14.230 --> 00:27:16.450 and other lung diseases, and is linked to an 00:27:16.450 --> 00:27:18.250 increased risk of premature death from heart 00:27:18.250 --> 00:27:21.450 or lung problems. So hotter days often mean dirtier 00:27:21.450 --> 00:27:24.029 air, especially in cities. So it's a double whammy, 00:27:24.049 --> 00:27:26.490 the heat itself, plus potentially worse air to 00:27:26.490 --> 00:27:28.990 breathe. Exactly. The impacts are interconnected 00:27:28.990 --> 00:27:31.309 and touch on many aspects of our health and well 00:27:31.309 --> 00:27:34.009 -being. Wow. Okay, we have covered a lot of ground 00:27:33.869 --> 00:27:37.049 today. We've gone from Tampa's specific historic 00:27:37.049 --> 00:27:39.890 100 -degree record breaking down why it's so 00:27:39.890 --> 00:27:41.869 unusual for the Florida Peninsula. You know, 00:27:41.910 --> 00:27:44.430 the sea breezes, the humidity paradox, we explored 00:27:44.430 --> 00:27:46.990 the mechanics of that persistent heat dome, the 00:27:46.990 --> 00:27:49.430 sinking air, the lack of storms. Right, and the 00:27:49.430 --> 00:27:52.069 local factors too. The preceding dryness, the 00:27:52.069 --> 00:27:54.490 record warm May, the warm nights, the influence 00:27:54.490 --> 00:27:56.809 of the Bermuda High. And the incredibly warm 00:27:56.809 --> 00:27:59.369 Gulf of Mexico, the high ocean heat content, 00:27:59.509 --> 00:28:01.829 that idea of the ocean cooking, and then connecting 00:28:01.829 --> 00:28:04.079 it all to the bigger picture. The undeniable 00:28:04.079 --> 00:28:07.420 long -term warming trends globally and here in 00:28:07.420 --> 00:28:10.319 Florida, driven by greenhouse gases. And finally, 00:28:10.460 --> 00:28:13.039 the very real, very serious impacts on human 00:28:13.039 --> 00:28:15.720 health and daily life. It's all linked. It really 00:28:15.720 --> 00:28:18.819 is. This historic temperature yesterday and that 00:28:18.819 --> 00:28:22.079 brutal heat index, it just hammers home how much 00:28:22.079 --> 00:28:24.579 our weather is changing, how these extremes are 00:28:24.579 --> 00:28:27.490 becoming, well... less extreme and more frequent. 00:28:27.869 --> 00:28:30.289 It really makes you wonder, as we face a future 00:28:30.289 --> 00:28:32.789 where maybe old benchmarks don't apply, what 00:28:32.789 --> 00:28:35.509 does normal even mean anymore for a Florida summer? 00:28:35.680 --> 00:28:38.599 How do we adapt to what Marshall Shepard called, 00:28:38.940 --> 00:28:41.279 not your grandmother's heat? Yeah. That's quite 00:28:41.279 --> 00:28:43.380 a thought to grapple with. It is. And the key 00:28:43.380 --> 00:28:45.079 takeaway, I think, is that staying informed, 00:28:45.440 --> 00:28:47.819 understanding these changes is absolutely vital. 00:28:47.940 --> 00:28:49.799 It's not just interesting. It's crucial for our 00:28:49.799 --> 00:28:52.259 safety, for our communities. We really need to 00:28:52.259 --> 00:28:54.200 be conscious of our friends, our neighbors, especially 00:28:54.200 --> 00:28:56.140 those who are more vulnerable because heat is 00:28:56.140 --> 00:28:58.799 just so dangerous. It's a time to be alert and 00:28:58.799 --> 00:29:01.759 look out for each other. Really well said. Awareness 00:29:01.759 --> 00:29:04.259 and community are key. Thank you so much for 00:29:04.259 --> 00:29:06.839 breaking all of this down for us today. And thank 00:29:06.839 --> 00:29:08.720 you for joining us on the Meteorology Matters 00:29:08.720 --> 00:29:11.059 podcast. If you want more insights on weather 00:29:11.059 --> 00:29:13.779 phenomena like this, you can follow meteorologist 00:29:13.779 --> 00:29:16.640 Rob Jones on Instagram. His handle is meteorologist 00:29:16.640 --> 00:29:20.240 on TikTok. You can find him at TV meteorologist 00:29:20.240 --> 00:29:22.740 and his YouTube channel. Plus the Meteorology 00:29:22.740 --> 00:29:25.519 Matters podcast playlist can be found by searching 00:29:25.519 --> 00:29:27.880 Rob Jones hurricane. Lots of great information 00:29:27.880 --> 00:29:31.279 there until next time. Stay curious and please 00:29:31.279 --> 00:29:32.240 stay safe out there.