What water temperature is too hot to swim? Here's how hot the ocean is in Florida right now

Lianna Norman, USA TODAY NETWORK
·3 min read
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The scorching heat spurring advisories in parts of Florida this week have also meant warmer ocean temperatures, which last year hit record-breaking levels around the state's coasts.

Ocean surface temperatures can sometimes get too hot, making it dangerous for swimmers in some areas. And while hot water does typically mean a busy hurricane season, it also means less time spent enjoying the beach. After all, 90- to-100-degree water can only be so refreshing.

So far, water temperatures aren't reaching dangerous levels this summer, although a couple of areas in Florida are already seeing surface temperatures up to almost 91 degrees.

But the water isn’t uncomfortably warm just yet. There are plenty of beaches across the state where ocean temperatures are still in the mid-80s.

Here’s what to know about the hottest ocean temperatures in Florida this week:

What is the ocean temperature in Florida right now?

On July 9, 2024, Apalachicola in Florida's Panhandle and Long Sound near the Florida Keys had the highest ocean surface temperatures recorded in the state, at 90.9 degrees.

Last year, it took until mid-July for the water in South Florida to hit 100 degrees.

Here are the some of the water temperatures recorded around Florida on July 9, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information’s real-time interactive map:

  • Key West: 89.4  degrees Fahrenheit

  • Fort Myers: 90.7 degrees Fahrenheit

  • Venice: 88.2 degrees Fahrenheit

  • Clearwater Beach: 89.8 degrees Fahrenheit

  • Apalachicola: 90.9 degrees Fahrenheit

  • Jacksonville University: 89.6 degrees Fahrenheit

  • St. Augustine: 84.2 degrees Fahrenheit

  • Cape Canaveral: 84.7 degrees Fahrenheit

  • Lake Worth Pier: 85.5 degrees Fahrenheit

  • Long Sound: 90.9 degrees Fahrenheit

What water temperature is too hot for swimming?

According to a report from Livestrong about the effects of water temperature when swimming, water that is over 90 degrees can lead to overheating and exhaustion.

“Warm water increases your body temperature, which also raises your sweat rate and quickens dehydration,” the report says. “Open-water swimming in warm climates can expose you to water temperatures that are too warm, which can cause muscle spasms and severe fatigue.”

According to a warning from the Consumer Product Safety Commission on hot tub temperatures, 106 degrees Fahrenheit is the temperature at which water becomes unsafe for humans to submerge.

"Soaking in a hot tub with water heated to 106 degrees Fahrenheit, for example, can raise human body temperature to the point of heat stroke (or impairment of the body's ability to regulate its internal temperature)," the CPSC's report says. "These conditions can be fatal even to fully healthy adults."

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Has the ocean ever reached 100 degrees in Florida?

In July 2023, water temperature recorded at a buoy south of Miami recorded the water temperature at 101.1 degrees Fahrenheit, more than 11 degrees hotter than is safe for people to swim in.

Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Heat wave in US: Florida oceans warm but is it too hot to swim