Miami playground surface hits 177.9 degrees amid record-breaking heat in Florida

Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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Florida has been under a series of excessive heat warnings in recent months, marking what many consider the hottest summer they can remember.

But it isn't just searing sunshine and stifling humidity that make outdoor play dangerous. Surfaces can become scorching, putting people's hands, feet and seats at risk of severe burns.

The Miami Herald used a hand-held ETEKCITY Lasergrip 774 Infrared Thermometer to test the surfaces of popular outdoor spots between Miami-Dade and Broward counties on days with heat advisories or excessive heat warnings.

The hottest spot they measured was the rubberized floor of a playground, which clocked in at 177.9 degrees Fahrenheit.

Another top-ranked hot spot may feel familiar for beachgoers; the sand on South Beach reached 137 degrees.

That's well over the temperature that's hot enough to burn the skin: 110 degrees, pediatrician Dr. Georgia Christakis told the Herald.

The Palm Bay High School football team practices without pads on Aug. 10, 2023 in Melbourne, Florida. The team plays without pads during extreme heat. Practice was abbreviated because of high heat warnings in the area Wednesday.
The Palm Bay High School football team practices without pads on Aug. 10, 2023 in Melbourne, Florida. The team plays without pads during extreme heat. Practice was abbreviated because of high heat warnings in the area Wednesday.

Hot stuff in Miami, Florida

Here are the other hottest outdoor surfaces measured by the Herald:

  • 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 stuff on the Gulf Coast, Florida

Naples Daily News reporter Mark Bickel used a non-contact LCD Multi Dot Laser Infrared Thermometer to measure hot surfaces in July 2023 on one of the hottest days recorded in Naples. Here is what he found:

  • 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

More: Could this be the year Naples finally hits triple digits?

Record-breaking heat in Florida

Average temperature rankings by state in July 2023. The number 129 signifies the warmest on record.
Average temperature rankings by state in July 2023. The number 129 signifies the warmest on record.

The time between January to June has been the hottest on record in Florida, and August has been off to a warmer start than usual.

In fact, July 2023 has tied with June 1998 as Florida's hottest month ever. In Miami, the heat index was higher than 100 degrees for 46 straight days.

As a result, much of the state has been under excessive heat warnings or advisories on and off this summer. Different parts of the state have different criteria for issuing the warnings. But experts warn that extreme heat can have dire health consequences and encourage people to take precautions. Florida has seen an 88% increase in heat-related deaths over the last three years.

Nationally, heat waves kill more people than all of the other weather-related disasters combined, with more than 150 such deaths annually, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Contributing: Dinah Voyles Pulver and C.A. Bridges, USA TODAY; Brandon Girod, Pensacola News Journal

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Record-breaking Florida heat burns up Miami playground to 178 degrees