Weather in The Sunshine State 🇺🇸

Part of my Real Florida Guide

First rule: Don’t always expect sunshine in the Sunshine State….

Whereas Florida usually does live up to its nickname, with scorching temperatures often between 30° and 40°, it is also known for its heavy downpours in the summer months.

It’s almost a given that between June and August, you can expect your sunny days to be rudely interrupted by rainy storm showers in the mid-afternoon – though not usually lasting longer than a few hours, tops.

Having been in June previously and witnessed just that, we now opt for a May or September visit – and the weather is just perfect, aside one threat….but I’ll get to that in a bit!

What to pop in your suitcase:

Aside from the obvious passport, money, insurance, sunglasses, suncream, swimwear and flip flops – there are some things that you can cram into your 23kg allowance to save yourself time and money upon arrival in the US.

I remember the days fondly when you could go to Florida and eat, drink and shop to your hearts content, smug in the knowledge that everything was at least half the price as it was back home in the UK. That’s sadly no longer the case, although some things remain cheaper in Florida, including 1.5 litre bottles of wine in the supermarket, steak, seafood and petrol. Sun cream and toiletries – generally more expensive – so pack your own.

✔️ You’ll want to pack some sort of light raincoat for rainy days (and hope you don’t have to use it). A poncho might be something you want to consider for the water rides at theme parks. Don’t pay hefty park prices for something as ugly as a poncho – you can pick these up for a mere £1 in the UK – and they are lightweight too.

✔️ Don’t forget your USA travel adaptors! The first thing that will set your trip off on a bad footing is finding yourself over in the States without access to charging your smartphone or straightening your hair! Again, avoid hefty airport charges (or struggling to locate them abroad) by remembering them in the first place.

✔️ A small first aid kit containing a few plasters, paracetamol and potions to ensure you stay well overseas. Again, it’s cheaper to take your own.

✔️ I always find that it’s good to have a wad of cash (for smaller spends and restaurant tips), but to also have a credit card. There are some great cards out there that don’t charge commission for overseas spending, such as Barclaycard and Halifax Clarity.

✔️ If you plan to spend a lot of time relaxing around a pool, then a kindle, iPad or a few books are musts.

Hurricane Season

We have found ourselves unwilling participants caught in the path of a hurricane on two occasions. True story. Both in the month of October.

Hurricane Season officially ‘operates’ between June and November (peaking between August and October). That doesn’t exactly leave much in the way of ‘risk-free’ travel months…

Unfortunately, there’s no escaping the fact that the Florida Panhandle and the countries surrounding the Gulf of Mexico are particularly prone to hurricanes so factor this in when you’re planning when and where to go.

As hurricanes become more commonplace, it begs the question: ‘Have they become something you should expect when heading to the Sunshine State in these months’?

What can you expect if you’re unfortunate enough to be holidaying when there’s a Hurricane?

First off, the State of Florida will go into ’emergency watch’ and grade the hurricane (we had the category five Matthew in 2016 and cat five Michael in 2018). Fox News or any other weather channel will give regular updates on the progress as the hurricane approaches over the coming days and hours. State Senators will also warn people to evacuate the most vulnerable areas (can you imagine being in a trailer park home in 270km/h winds?) – and they will also apply strict curfews to prevent people venturing out when they needn’t.

This means battening down the hatches at the earliest opportunity and closing public places such as theme parks, cinemas and restaurants.

Expect every Walmart, Winn-Dixie and Target to receive an influx of people stocking up on the essentials, as it will often be unknown how bad the damage will be and for how long the hurricane will last.

Naturally, us Brits always ensure we have the necessaries in such situations – alcohol – and lots of it!

If you’re caught in a hurricane and are staying at Disney (or any hotel or complex), you’ll be confined to your hotel room, though looked after. If, like us however, you find yourself staying in a villa, be prepared to remove cushions from sun loungers and hurl the frames into the swimming pool (like in my photo above) – this way, the furniture will sink to the bottom of the pool and not turn into projectiles in the high winds!

Does climate change mean we will see more adverse weather now?

Unfortunately – and it goes without saying – the death and devastation that hurricanes leave behind arw catastrophic for many. They really are dangerous things and can never be underestimated.

We all know there’s a massive problem here: Climate change is seeing oceans hotting up and this creates the perfect foundation for the formation hurricanes. This means that we are probably more likely than we ever have been before to see hurricanes – and they will be bigger and more monstrous.

But don’t be put off visiting Florida for fear of being caught in a twister because the sunshine more than still outweighs the storms! Take the city of St Petersburg, nestled between the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay, as an example. It’s officially Florida’s sunniest spot, holding the record for having 768 consecutive days of sunshine! Lovely!

You’re definately far more likely to need to pack suncream and sunglasses than you are a hurricane survival kit.

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Have you ridden out a hurricane before? If that’s a yes, tell me about it by leaving a comment below 👇🏻