A tropical start breaks records in Tampa
Thursday morning, May 22, brought an unprecedented heatwave to Tampa, Florida, where temperatures never dipped below 80°F (about 26.7°C)—marking the warmest May morning on record. According to WFLA Chief Meteorologist Jeff Berardelli, this surpasses both the daily record low maximum of 77°F (25°C) and the monthly record of 79°F (26.1°C), previously logged at Tampa International Airport.
A direct fingerprint of climate change
This isn’t a one-off event. An analysis from Climate Central’s Climate Shift Index found that Thursday morning’s exceptionally warm lows across Florida were made at least five times more likely by climate change. Supporting this, WFLA’s own review shows that around 80% of Tampa’s warmest low-temperature records have occurred since 2000, underscoring a trend consistent with global warming.
Warmer air and water fuel steamy mornings
Climate change is not only warming the air, it’s also heating ocean and Gulf surface waters. This results in greater moisture content, leading to mornings that feel sticky and tropical, especially in coastal areas like Tampa Bay.
For the next 48 hours, a slight drop in humidity is expected across the Tampa area, bringing marginally cooler and more comfortable overnight temperatures. However, heat and humidity are forecast to return over the holiday weekend, with daytime heat index values approaching 105°F (about 40.5°C)—a sweltering reminder of the intensifying heat extremes facing the region.
