TAMPA, Fla. — Heat and humidity are synonymous with Florida in the summertime, but even by our standards, it was a hot summer across the Tampa Bay area. As the calendar flips over to September we can now look back and finalize the numbers of what was an exceptionally hot summer.
First, before looking back on the last few months, August itself ended up being the hottest August ever recorded in Tampa. The average temperature at the Tampa International Airport (where the official weather observations for Tampa are taken) for the entire month of August was 85.6°F, 1.6°F warmer than normal. This number is the average of all of the low temperatures and high temperatures for the entire month.
Looking closer at the month, Aug. 15 was the only day all of August that was cooler than normal — and it was only one-degree cooler. Further, only five days came in at the climatological normal. Leaving the remaining 25 days hotter than normal.
This theme of hotter-than-normal was nothing new after this past July went down as the hottest month ever recorded in Tampa.
While technically the start of autumn (Autumnal Equinox) isn't until Sept. 22 this year, meteorologists and climatologists break the seasons down into three-month groups to allow for more accurate record keeping.
After a record hot August, a record hot July and the second hottest June ever recorded in Tampa's history, it probably isn't a surprise that Tampa just wrapped up the hottest summer ever recorded.
Over the last three months, Tampa had an average temperature of 85.7°F which is the warmest ever recorded for June, July and August since records began in 1939. The previous record warmest summer was in 2020 when the average temperature was 84.8°, almost an entire degree cooler than this past summer.
A lot of the warmth that Tampa experienced through the summer months was during the overnights, but the afternoon heat has been notable. While the normal high temperature through the summertime is 91°F, Tampa has hit 95° or higher 25 times. This is the most number of times the temperature has been this hot. In 1990 the high temp was at 95°F or higher 24 times.
All of this is leading to what is on track to be the hottest year on record for the Tampa Bay area. The hottest year ever recorded was 2020. To date, 2022 is outpacing 2020 by 0.8°F with an average temperature so far of 77.7°F.
The good news, if your looking for it, is that as we head through meteorological fall cooler temperatures are ahead. Sept. 15 is when the average high temperature finally drops from 91°F to 90°. The average high temperature will then continue to drop through the rest of fall when by Nov. 31 the average high will be 76°F.
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