UF SUMMER SEASON NEWS STORIES
As Florida heads into another sweltering summer, University of Florida experts are tackling the season’s biggest challenges — from rising temperatures and evolving travel trends to the serious health and economic impacts of extreme heat. From groundbreaking climate research to practical solutions for staying safe and cool, UF is leading efforts to understand and adapt to what summer now means across the state and beyond.
Florida summers are sizzling — and research shows more scorching days likely in the next 25 years
Think we’ll broil during the upcoming summer days in Florida? Look ahead, because by 2050, some places in Florida may see 70 hot days annually, a UF scientist says. Researchers found an increasing number of hot days over the past 60 years across Florida and predict more such days in the future. Scientists define “hot days” as 91 degrees or warmer.
Summer 2025 brings high demand, smarter travelers and new travel trends
As summer travel season ramps up, Rachel J.C. Fu discusses the major trends shaping where and how people travel in 2025 in a new Q&A. She also shares predictions for what’s ahead — including how destinations can adapt to shifting traveler expectations and environmental challenges.
Heat waves, droughts cause billions of dollars in global economic losses
Severe weather costs the global economy billions of dollars a year, highlighting the costs of climate change and the value of mitigating extreme weather, according to an analysis of weather and economic data. Berkay Akyapi, a professor in the UF Warrington College of Business, collaborated with other researchers to perform the analysis, which included billions of weather observations across hundreds of countries over a 40-year stretch.
Researchers work to beat the summer heat by studying Florida’s microclimates
UF researcher Yi Luo studies microclimates, areas that may have a different climate than their overall region, to make cities feel less scorching. Her work includes mitigating the heat for visitors at The St. Pete Pier and its 26-acre waterfront park as well as the historic Mallory Square area in Key West.
The long-term effects of heatstroke on the body
Heat kills more people than any other extreme weather event, and deadly heat waves are getting longer and hotter as the climate warms. Staying cool – and informed – is essential. So we spoke with Thomas Clanton, a professor of applied physiology and kinesiology at the UF and an expert in the effects of heat on the body, about how to recognize heat illness and the long-term effects of heatstroke.