Summer forecast to be hotter in Florida this year

Floridians are in for higher-than-usual temperatures this summer.

Why it matters: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's climate outlook for June through August indicates Florida will be a hotter and more precarious place to be during the summer.

• Florida already experienced record-high temperatures and decreased rainfall at the start of the year, according to NOAA.
• The forecast this summer shows Florida is also expected to be wetter than normal, which could spell good news for drought conditions in the northern part of the state.

The big picture: Because of human-caused climate change, average summer temperatures are on the rise across much of the country, Axios' Andrew Freeman writes.

• Climate outlooks will help power companies plan for higher electricity demand during heat waves.

Between the lines: A growing number of scientific studies show climate change is causing heat waves to be more intense, more frequent and longer lasting.

• In some cases, severe heat waves have been found to have been virtually impossible were it not for climate change.

Of note: The seasonal forecast is based in part on existing conditions, such as soil moisture, as well as the predicted formation of an El Niño in the tropical Pacific Ocean.

• Forecasters also factored in ocean temperatures, such as above-average sea surface temperatures off the East Coast, which will influence the average weather conditions over land.

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