As Hurricane Idalia charges toward Florida, one factor that could amplify its effects on coastal communities is the unusually warm water in the Gulf of Mexico, which is partly the result of the sultry weather that has been smothering the South all summer.
“Holy cow has it been hot down here,” said Brian Dzwonkowski, a marine scientist at the University of South Alabama and the Dauphin Island Sea Lab.
Really hot water.
And that’s not a good combination for hurricane season.”Earth’s oceans have been hotter in recent months, by a considerable margin, than at any other time in modern history.
In July, a buoy off the Florida coast reported a hot-tub-like reading of 101.1 degrees Fahrenheit, or more than 38 Celsius, a possible world record for sea surface temperatures.
Persons:
”, Brian Dzwonkowski
Organizations:
University of South
Locations:
Florida, Gulf of Mexico, University of South Alabama, Dauphin