TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Tampa’s heat index soared to 118 degrees Fahrenheit Wednesday afternoon for about 10 to 15 minutes at Tampa International Airport. That ties for the third highest since 1940.
The reason is the leftover tropical airmass from Hurricane Debby and persistent westerly wind blowing steamy marine air into the Tampa Bay Area. The dewpoint at that time reached an incredible 84 degrees, tied for the second highest since 1940.
With westerly flow persisting, dewpoints will continue to flirt with or beat 80 through Saturday and that means morning feels like temps will be in the mid-90s, with daytime feels-like near 110 or higher.
While these exceptionally high dew points and feels like temps are still rare, even in our climate-changed world, extreme heat is happening more often. Here are a few examples— 90-degree days have doubled since the 1970s. Some of this is due to urban heat islands and increased development, and some is due to global warming.
The number of days where the heat index and feels like temperature in Tampa exceeds 103 degrees has increased by more than four times since the 1970s.