Jeff Berardelli is WFLA’s Chief Meteorologist and Climate Specialist
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Thursday morning’s weather was so tropically warm and humid that it registered the warmest May morning ever recorded in Tampa.
Temperatures at Tampa Airport remained above 80 degrees, setting a new record for the highest minimum temperature recorded there since 1890.
This broke the daily record of 77 and the monthly record of 79.
This is a clear result of climate change. According to a Climate Shift Index assessment by Climate Central, Thursday morning’s unusually warm temperatures across Florida were at least five times more likely due to climate change.
However, this isn’t an isolated incident. WFLA’s research indicates that approximately 80% of record-high morning lows in Tampa have happened since 2000.
Climate change is not only making the air warmer, but also the sea surface temperatures in the oceans and Gulf. The result of this is more humidity and warmer starts to the day, especially near the water.
Slightly lower humidity has settled into Tampa Bay for the next 48 hours, so that means low temperatures will be slightly lower and more comfortable the next two days. But the humidity and heat will return for the second half of the holiday weekend. That means daytime heat index numbers near 105.
