The average water temperature in the Gulf of Mexico reached 88ºF, the highest recorded, creating an ecosystem that has resulted in record-high temperatures throughout Gulf coast states, the Washington Post reports. Gulf waters hit an average temperature of 88ºF, a degree higher than previously calculated and more than 2.5 degrees higher than its typical average.
Besides hitting daily high temperature records, temperatures on land have being skyrocketing: several Louisiana cities including Alexandria, New Iberia, and Natchitoches reached all-time high temperatures in the past week. Heat indexes are expected to reach 110º to 120º in Louisiana this week.
In the environmental and cultural hellhole of Texas, temperatures in Houston and College Station reached all-time highs for average weekly temperature last week. And in backwoods Florida, temperatures at the National Weather Service office recorded a 100ºF level for the first time since 1976, when the data start.