Extreme heat; Florida not pictured – Playground set — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Trong Nguyen
Many people consider this summer to be the hottest they can recall, and Florida has recently been the subject of numerous excessive heat warnings.
However, it’s not simply the scorching sun and oppressive humidity that make outdoor play hazardous. The risk of serious burns to hands, feet, and seats increases as surfaces become scalding.
On days when there were heat advisories or excessive heat warnings, The Miami Herald tested the surfaces of well-known outdoor locations between Miami-Dade and Broward counties using a hand-held ETEKCITY Lasergrip 774 Infrared Thermometer.
They found that a playground’s rubberized floor had the highest temperature, measuring 177.9 degrees Fahrenheit.
Beachgoers may recognize another top-ranked hot area because South Beach’s sand reached a temperature of 137 degrees.
According to physician Dr. Georgia Christakis, that is far above the 110-degree threshold at which skin can be burned.
Hot Miami, Florida, things
The following other outdoor surfaces, as determined by the Herald, are the hottest:
- Dashboard of a car parked in the sun for 30 minutes: 159 degrees
- Playground swing set: 131 degrees
- Soccer park turf: 131 degrees
- Concrete sidewalk: 130 degrees
- Rental kayak seat: 125 degrees
- Bus stop seat: 111 degrees
- Tennis courts: 110 degrees
Hot Topics on Florida’s Gulf Coast
On one of the hottest days ever recorded in Naples, in July 2023, Naples Daily News reporter Mark Bickel utilized a non-contact LCD Multi Dot Laser Infrared Thermometer to measure heated surfaces. Here’s what he discovered:
- Playground slide: 157.7 degrees
- Post office drop box: 136.5 degrees
- Pickleball court: 133.3 degrees
- Tiled floor outside of a local ice cream spot: 123.5 degrees
- Sidewalk bench: 114.5 degrees
- Shopping cart: 111.2 degrees
Florida experienced its hottest January through June on record, and August has started off warmer than usual.
In fact, July 2023 and June 1998 are the two hottest months on record in Florida. For 46 straight days, the heat index in Miami exceeded 100 degrees.
As a result, extreme heat warnings or advisories have periodically been in effect this summer for a large portion of the state. The criteria used to issue the warnings varies depending on where in the state you are. However, authorities advise individuals to take cautious as excessive heat can have serious health effects. Over the past three years, heat-related mortality in Florida has increased by 88 percent.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, heat waves cause more fatalities on a national scale than all other weather-related disasters combined, with more than 150 such fatalities per year.
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Chris began his writing as a hobby while attending Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. Today he and his wife live in the Orlando area with their three children and dog.
