Severe Weather Awareness Week: 5 Tips for Day 5

Educating Floridians about weather hazards is the focus of Florida Severe Weather Awareness Week, sponsored by both the Florida Division of Emergency Management and the American Red Cross.

The week to educate is Jan. 31 through Feb. 4, with one weather event highlighted each day, starting with  on Jan. 31; marine hazards and  on Feb. 1;  tornadoes and thunderstorms on Feb. 2; and hurricanes and flooding on Feb. 3.

Collected from the site are five things to know about the Feb. 4 focus, temperature extremes and wildfires.

1. Florida typically sees more than 4,600 fires burn nearly 110,000 acres of land annually, although compared to the past 30 years, wildfires in 2010 were particularly low, with more than 2,000 fires burning some 25,000 acres through September.
2. Wildfires can start at any time of the year but peak during the early part of the year, from January to the wet season, which usually starts in early to mid-June. Lightning is responsible for many fires but most fires are started by humans. The most common causes of fires started by humans: arson and embers, or flames, carried away by winds when burning debris or trash.
3. Florida is considered a "hot" state but its temperatures are really quite moderate thanks to the water that surrounds the state. Still, due to the size and location of the state, weather patterns do not always allow for the surrounding waters to moderate temperatures.
4. A "sea breeze" can moderate temperatures by 10 to 15 degrees and can also cause thunderstorms to develop. When the sun heats the ground it becomes warmer and the air over the hot ground begins to rise. As this warmed air rises, air off the cooler waters replaces it, which is what is referred to as "sea breeze. Areas of high pressure can interfere with the normal flow of wind that moderates temperatures by stopping the heated air near the ground from rising — and likewise the sea breezes from bringing relief. For clouds to form, air needs to rise. If the air sinks, clouds are unable to form. 
5. Hot temperatures combined with high humidity limits the body's ability to cool off through sweating, which is why we feel it is hotter than it actually is. When this "heat index" reaches higher than 105 degrees Fahrenheit conditions can become dangerous for both people and animals. Heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heatstroke that could result in death are possible.

For more information on wildfires and temperature extremes, and other weather hazards, visit the Hazardous Weather: A Florida Guide page for kids. It includes games, teacher planning materials and links to other educational sites and is ideal for talking to children about severe weather events and precautions.