Topline
Scientists may have recorded the hottest seawater ever as sea surface temperatures hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit near the southern tip of Florida Monday, while parts of North America and Europe continue to battle a heat wave that scientists have directly attributed to climate change.
Key Facts
A buoy in Manatee Bayâon the southern tip of the Florida peninsulaârecorded a water temperature of 101.1 degrees on Monday evening, after hitting 100.2 degrees a day earlier, the Associated Press reported citing meteorologists.
While there is no official record for the highest seawater temperature, a study from 2020 refers to water in Kuwait Bay reaching 99.7F in July that year as the âworldâs highest.â
The number recorded from Manatee Bay is preliminary, but nearby buoys also registered very high temperatures of around 98 and 99 degrees, lending further credence to it being a new record.
The steep ocean temperatures have had a devastating impact on aquatic life in the area with researchers reporting â100% coral mortalityâ in some areas near the Florida coast.
Parts of the south and southwest U.S. have endured a severe heat wave over the past month with Miami and parts of south Florida remaining under a heat advisory on Wednesday.
Surprising Fact
To put the extreme sea water temperature around the Florida coast into context, hot tub maker Jacuzzi says most of its users âprefer a water temperature in the range of 100°F-102°Fââon par with the numbers recorded in Manatee Bay on Monday.
Key Background
Parts of North America and Europe have been reeling from a severe heat wave over the past month, which at one point saw more than a third of the U.S. population being placed under âextreme heat advisories, watches, and warnings.â In an analysis published earlier this week, scientists from around the world noted that such an intense heat wave would be âvirtually impossibleâ without human-driven climate change. July is expected to end up being the hottest ever month on record.
Further Reading
Water at tip of Florida hits hot tub level, may have set world record for warmest seawater (Associated Press)