Summer heat is climbing in Tampa Bay
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Last summer was Tampa Bay's warmest in the past five decades, according to a new analysis from climate research group Climate Central.
By the numbers: Tampa Bay's average summer temperatures increased by 3.8°F between 1970 and 2022, per Climate Central data.
- Average temperatures were 85.7°F in 2022, compared to 81.9°F in 1970.
Why it matters: Extreme heat is a serious health risk, which could lead to both immediate acute effects like heatstroke as well as longer-term complications due to reduced air quality.
- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's climate outlook for June through August indicates Florida will experience higher-than-usual temperatures this summer, too.
Zoom out: Because of human-caused climate change, average summer temperatures are on the rise across much of the country.
- Between 1970 and 2022, summer temperatures rose by 2.4°F on average across nearly 230 locations — 95% of the locations the group analyzed.
- Around half of the locations analyzed are now reporting at least two more weeks' worth of summer days with above-normal temperatures compared to 1970.
The bottom line: "As carbon pollution traps more heat in Earth's atmosphere, the summer season is warming, summer temperatures are arriving earlier in the year, and risky heat extremes are becoming more frequent," per Climate Central.