ORLANDO, Fla. – Here we are in the heat of summer. This week has been full of blazing daytime highs and super warm overnight lows. In this installment of Forecasting Change, we discuss more extremely hot days.
Of course, we all understand that we are working, dreaming and living our lives in Florida. Most of us live here because we enjoy the warmer climate. But that “warm climate” is only getting hotter. Summer is ever increasing. Spring is warmer, summer is longer, and winter is shrinking.
Recommended Videos
[TRENDING: What’s that smell? Tons of stinky seaweed covers Central Florida coast | 8 Central Florida shops where the chocolate flows | Become a News 6 Insider (it’s free!)]
Here are some numbers for you:
According to our media partners at Climate Central, 74% of U.S. locations have reported more extremely hot days annually since 1970.
A little more than half of those locations (51%) have increased those “Extremely Hot Days” by more than a week. In Orlando, we have not added seven days, but we have added three per summer compared to 50 years ago.
The largest change occurred in Austin, Texas, where they added 43 days (about one and a half months) with a high above 100 degrees.
These extreme days are a part of the warming summer trend. While Orlando has added three days of extreme heat, we have also noted the climb of the summer averages.
The graphic below shows the country as a whole and the summer warming that is happening.
Our above normal daytime highs will drop just a little for the weekend as rain chances climb back to 60%. I do hear complaints from people who do not want rain for the weekend. But just know, if it does not rain this time of year, we do get really hot.
You can listen to every episode of Florida’s Fourth Estate in the media player below: