Average Gulf Coast temperatures reach record highs

The Gulf of Mexico reached record heat in the first half of August, setting the stage for an intense hurricane season in a region that is no stranger to devastating storms.

Average temperature data from the Southeast Regional Climate Center from Aug. 1-15 indicated record high temperatures on coastal stations, across an unbroken swath of coast stretching from Matamoros in northeastern Mexico to Miami.

At the state and municipal level, Tampa and its suburb Ruskin set a single-day temperature record of 100 degrees Sunday, while Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) declared a state of emergency due to the extreme heat Monday.

“This summer, the National Weather Service has issued a record number of excessive heat warnings for Louisiana,” Edwards said in a statement. “The Louisiana Department of Health reports that the state has already exceeded the average number of annual heat-related emergency room visits. Additionally, drought conditions and a significant drop in the Mississippi River’s water level have added stress on water supplies and agriculture.” 

The National Hurricane Center has said there is a chance of a tropical storm developing in the Gulf along the southeastern coast of Texas next week. 

“A broad area of low pressure could form in the central or western Gulf of Mexico by the beginning of next week,” the NHC said in a forecast Wednesday. “Some slow development of this system is possible thereafter as it moves westward and approaches the western Gulf of Mexico coastline by the middle of next week.” 

The week prior, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration doubled the chances of an above-average 2023 Atlantic hurricane season, upping it to 60 percent from 30 percent in its May forecast. The NOAA said record ocean temperatures threaten to offset any moderating effect from an El Niño event.