10-04-2025
Will Florida see another scorching summer in 2025? See what Old Farmer's Almanac predicts
After facing a colder-than-average winter season, Floridians are ready to embrace the warm, sunny springtime weather. However, summer's oppressive heat is fast approaching.
Last year was Earth's warmest summer on record, according to NASA analysis. Global temperatures in 2024 were 2.30 degrees Fahrenheit above the agency's 20th-century baseline (1951-1980), which topped the previous record set in 2023.
On April 2, the Old Farmer's Almanac released its long-range summer forecast for North America. It covered seasonal rainfall forecasts and predicted how hot it could be this summer, saying, "It's going to be a scorcher".
Will Florida endure another sweltering summer? Here's what to know and what part of the state could see a break from the usual heat.
The first day of summer is June 20. The 2025 summer solstice goes through Sept. 22.
The summer of 2025 is predicted to be intense, with hotter-than-normal temperatures across most of the U.S., except for the Northwest and southern Florida.
Yes, but only certain parts of the state. Old Farmer's Almanac predicts precipitation will be higher than normal in southern Florida.
According to its website, the Old Farmer's Almanac bases its predictions on a comparison of solar activity and weather patterns. The Almanac explains that its forecasts draw on various academic fields, including solar science, climatology, and meteorology.
It also notes that its current weather forecasting method is a modern adaptation of a formula developed by the almanac's founder, Robert B. Thomas, in 1792.
The Old Farmer's Almanac, distinct from the Farmers' Almanac, claims an 80% accuracy rate for its weather predictions.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill preventing local governments from requiring heat protection for outdoor workers last year.
House Bill 433, referred to as the Employment Regulations Bill, says it seeks to "prohibit political subdivisions (city and county governments) from maintaining a minimum wage other than a state or federal minimum wage; prohibit political subdivisions from controlling, affecting, or awarding preferences based on the wages or employment benefits of entities doing business with the political subdivision; revise and provide applicability."
Regarding heat exposure protections, the bill's summary details that it prohibits political subdivisions from:
Requiring an employer, including an employer contracting with the political subdivision, to meet or provide heat exposure requirements not otherwise required under state or federal law.
Giving preference, or considering or seeking information, in a competitive solicitation to an employer based on the employer's heat exposure requirements.
Despite outlining in its summary that counties and cities would have to adopt the state's stances on heat exposure protection, Florida does not have any statewide standard. However, the bill's text heavily supports OSHA's guidelines regarding the subject.
Florida is under federal OSHA jurisdiction, which covers most private-sector workers within the state. State and local government workers are not covered by federal OSHA.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. An average season in the Atlantic basin has 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes, according to NOAA.
Old Farmer's Almanac also released its predictions, warning Florida will see tropical storms from mid-July through late August.
Researchers from Colorado State University also issued their initial forecast for the 2025 hurricane season last week, predicting an above-average season with 17 named storms.
"We anticipate that the 2025 Atlantic basin hurricane season will have above-normal activity," says the report, explaining that the current La Niña conditions are likely to transition to ENSO neutral conditions over the next couple of months.
Sea surface temperatures across and eastern and central Atlantic are generally warmer than normal although they are not as warm as they were this time last year, says the forecast, which reads, "A warmer-than-normal tropical Atlantic combined with likely ENSO neutral (or potential La Niña) conditions typically provides a more conducive dynamic and thermodynamic environment for hurricane formation and intensification."
Contributing: Olivia Rose, Arizona Republic
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Florida summer 2025: Here's almanac outlook for heat, rainfall
