Much of the United States — and plenty of the rest of the planet, too — has been boiling lately. Temperature records are being smashed seemingly every day, and on July 24, it appears that yet another one was broken: a buoy in the Florida Keys registered 101.1 degrees Fahrenheit water temperature.
The buoy, which clocked a whopping 100.2 degrees on Sunday, had researchers keeping a close eye on the waters of Manatee Bay. For context, an average hot tub temperature is about 100-103 degrees F.
At first, it was naturally assumed that the ridiculously warm water was a sensor error, but when those watching checked the neighboring buoys, they were stunned to find temperatures of 99.3 F at Murray Key and 98.4 °F at Johnson Key.
The water in the area has been exceptionally warm since early July, and it appears that they’re still heating up.
Florida beachgoers are in hot water. Literally. Image: Everglades National Park Water Quality Station
July saw some very strange weather patterns in the region. A strong high pressure area has led to hot air temps, which are pushing water temperatures way up. The high pressure area is also throwing a damper on the regular trade winds, which help cool down the surface of the sea.
Although the water temperatures in the area have been shocking scientists over the course of the month, hitting 101 degrees is almost unbelievable. Air temperatures have been in the upper 90s, winds have been less than 10 m.p.h, and the water in the bay is unusually silty, which allows for more sunlight absorption and higher water temperatures.
According to reports, Sunday and Monday’s temperature readings in Manatee Bay might be the hottest sea surface readings in the world. As of this writing, the previous record appears to be a 99.7 degree temperature recorded in Kuwait Bay in the Persian Gulf.
