Is it hotter near the beach?

When the land heats up, the air above it heats up as well. On the other hand, the ocean heats up and cools down relatively slowly. Therefore, areas near the ocean generally stay cooler during the day and have a more moderate temperature range than inland areas.



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AND YES, THE WATER DOES INTENSIFY THE SUN'S RAYS. And the reason you've been waiting to hear, confirmed — yes, the sun does reflect off of the ocean (or lake or swimming pool) and its rays are intensified as they reach your skin, making your more susceptible to a sunburn.

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National Weather Service meteorologist Walter Drag explains that it occurs due to the difference between the warm air over land and cool air hovering over the ocean. “What you have is, when wind increases during the day, cooler air is heavier, and it's drawn inland, replacing the warmer air that's rising.

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Environmental factors like water and sand can also increase your likelihood of sun damage. These surfaces can reflect up to 80 percent of UV radiation, so the sun's rays are hitting you twice.

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Sand can be over 100 degrees Fahrenheit when the outside temperature is only 75 degrees; indeed, when the ambient temperature is 90 degrees, the sand can be over 120 degrees, a passage from the study said. As a point of reference, temperatures in Tampa are forecasted to peak between 89 and 97 degrees from Aug.

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The difference is about three to four degrees, not a big difference, meteorologist Kate Guillet of the National Weather Service in Jacksonville said Wednesday. With sea breezes along the coast, it's cooler at the beach, she said.

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The movement of Alaskan and northern ocean currents southward down the west coast results in much cooler ocean temperatures than at comparable latitudes on the east coast of the United States, where ocean currents come from the Caribbean and tropical Atlantic.

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