Miami meteorologist airs unusual climate warning on record heat day, urges people vote

• "Please keep in mind, the most powerful climate change solution is the one you already have in the palm of your hands: the right to vote," MacLaughlin said in a video clip that has been viewed over 300,000 times on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Context: That same day, Miami's heat index — the "feels like" temperature — set a May record of 112°F — then saw the same temperature on Sunday.

What they're saying: MacLaughlin criticized Gov. Ron DeSantis for signing legislation last week that removes references to climate change from state law, as Floridians face sea level rise, coral bleaching and heat waves.

• "The entire world is looking to Florida to lead in climate change, and our government is saying that climate change is no longer the priority it once was."
• He later said the TV station would "never tell you who to vote for, but we will tell you this: We implore you to please do your research and know that there are candidates that believe in climate change and that there are solutions — and there are candidates that don't."

Stunning stat: Meanwhile, Miami's daily average temperature on Sunday, 89°F, was the third highest in the city's history.

• Climate Central's Climate Shift Index, which measures climate change's influence on day-to-day weather, found that Monday's daily average temperature in Miami was at least five times more likely to occur as a result of human-caused global warming.

Inside the room: MacLaughlin tells Axios he didn't ask the station for permission but was careful not to mention DeSantis or any political party by name.

• "I think that's where I would have gotten in trouble," he wrote in a direct message on X. "But my bosses have been so supportive."

The reaction: John Morales, a certified consulting meteorologist at ClimaData and the former chief meteorologist at NBC Miami, tells Axios that MacLaughlin's segment was "remarkable" for how directly he engaged with viewers.

• "I suspect there are many, possibly hundreds, of broadcast meteorologists in this country who wish they could have the guts to say something like that on TV."

Flashback: Morales, who also works as a hurricane specialist at NBC 6, says he was the first meteorologist in the Miami market to make climate connections during his weather broadcasts in the late 2000s.

• Today, a growing number of meteorologists reference climate change on the air, but it's not enough, he says.

The bottom line: "Empowerment through education sometimes requires finding a tactful way to do advocacy," he says. "You just have to. That is the level of urgency that we have here in terms of solving the climate crisis."