Water at tip of Florida exceeds 100 degrees

The water temperature at the tip of Florida exceeded 100 degrees for two days in a row, officials said, reaching hot tub levels.

According to National Weather Service meteorologist George Rizzuto, a buoy at Manatee Bay hit 101.1 degrees Monday night. The same buoy had a reading of 100.2 degrees Sunday night. Rizutto told The Associated Press this is a “potential record.”

“We’ve never seen a record-breaking event like this before,” said Yale Climate Connections meteorologist Jeff Masters in an interview with the AP.

Masters noted the back-to-back readings above 100 degrees may not be considered a record due to the area being shallow and containing seagrasses because it could be influenced by warm land in the nearby Everglades National Park.

The hot water has resulted in coral bleaching and some death in reefs, like Cheeca Rocks off the coast of Islamorada, Fla., as record-breaking temperatures hit several parts of the country.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration researcher Andrew Ibarra told the news service he found an entire reef bleached out at Cheeca Rocks, with some dead coral.

Several parts of the U.S. have been under heat advisories and excessive heat warnings over the past few weeks. According to the National Weather Service, Tuesday marked the 22nd consecutive day Miami-Dade County was under a heat advisory. Its previous record was three days.