We’ve officially entered the ‘it’s unsafe to go outside’ time of year here in Tampa Bay

Last year, Tampa witnessed the literal hottest summer in recorded history, and it looks like we’re on pace for yet another sweltering couple months were it’s actually unsafe to leave your house.

On Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for most of the Tampa Bay area, with temperatures expected to reach the mid to upper-90s,
with heat index values ranging from 108-110 due to the humidity.

The advisory is in place through 6 p.m.

“A Heat Advisory is issued within 12 hours of the onset of extremely dangerous heat conditions,” says National Weather Service.  “If you don’t take precautions, you may become seriously ill or even die.”

The agency advices people that must be outside to wear loose fitted clothing, drink plenty of water and to take breaks in shaded or air-conditioned spaces.

The agency has more information on heat-related illnesses, like signs of cramps, strokes or exhaustions, at weather.gov.

The brutal temps are expected to continue through the week, according to forecasters, with record highs expected on Friday and this weekend.

If all this feels familiar, it’s because Tampa is getting increasingly hotter. In 2022, Tampa set a new record for hottest consecutive months, with an average temperature from June 1 through July 2022 of 85.7 degrees.

This article appears in Jun 22-28, 2023.