[spark]

Hi. I live in Canada, but Dad's got a job offer in Boca Raton. I have to check the weather first, as I have an illness that is made worse when the weather changes quickly. Does anyone living in Florida find that their health problems worsen when the weather changes? Does the weather where you live change quickly and often? (As in, if you don't like the weather now, wait five minutes. The city I live in now is like that. We just had a 40 degree temperature change over a day or two, and was I achey!)

I also wonder about thunder, lightening, strong winds, storms. Is Florida pretty calm most of the year? Or is stormy weather kind of off and on?

Thank you for your replies. I've been using a map of Florida as wrapping paper for a few small gifts over the years. It seems pretty amazing that I might get to see the real thing. My brothers and I are impressed by the beauty of where you live.

((thanks))

[ARC]

Florida's rainy season is from June through September-ish. Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30th, with peak season being in August-September. These are the times when we can get strong storms, however, thunderstorms do occur during the "non-rainy" season, especially when a cool front comes down quickly. During the late fall, winter months, early spring it is generally calm, less humid and very nice.

We do not have massive temperature changes, like what you described. It CAN be extremely warm one day, however, and cool off pretty quickly (say perhaps a 20 degree change). I do not believe this directly affects health or causes illnesses, however, the time of the year these weather changes typically occur coincide with cold/flu season, so people always connect the two.

The only health problems I've noticed personally since moving to Florida is a slight increase in sinus infections (due to the humidity) and my eczema has gotten worse (due to the humidity, again). Other than that, I do not see unusual health problems associated with Florida's weather, and yes, we have a normal cold and flu season down here.

Originally Posted by spark

Hi. I live in Canada, but Dad's got a job offer in Boca Raton. I have to check the weather first, as I have an illness that is made worse when the weather changes quickly. Does anyone living in Florida find that their health problems worsen when the weather changes? Does the weather where you live change quickly and often? (As in, if you don't like the weather now, wait five minutes. The city I live in now is like that. We just had a 40 degree temperature change over a day or two, and was I achey!)

I also wonder about thunder, lightening, strong winds, storms. Is Florida pretty calm most of the year? Or is stormy weather kind of off and on?

Thank you for your replies. I've been using a map of Florida as wrapping paper for a few small gifts over the years. It seems pretty amazing that I might get to see the real thing. My brothers and I are impressed by the beauty of where you live.

((thanks))

[amberamour]

Yes, the weather negatively affects my health. I have rosacea, just the beginning stages of it, and it's not severe but causes disabling flushes. As luck would have it heat and humidity trigger the worst flushes. I have to stay indoors about 7 months of the year from May-Nov.

I have known many people through the years who were similarly made unhappy and ill by the weather but overall it's not anything that sustained time in a nice air conditioned house or office building can't manage.

My beef is that I LOVE beings outdoors gardening, riding a bike or taking our children for a walk, so being stuck inside because of the heat/humidity is really hard for me. My husband takes our kids out on weekends but unless we're having a cold front we're busy figuring out how to spend another day inside! I can't wait until we are living someplace where we can all enjoy the out of doors for a change!

And no, the weather does NOT change within 5 minutes. That's part of the problem. If it cooled off more when the sun went down you could feel relief but for many months the night time temps are only a few degrees difference. I call it "Hot minus the sun." (The asphalt doesn't release enough heat or something scientific. Rural areas inland and towns in more northern areas may enjoy more day/night differential even in summer but I'm in SoFL and we don't.)

This time of year is quite pleasant in comparison. We have daytime averages of 75-80 and get cool fronts from up north that occasionally offer a change for a few days.
But in general FL is a true subtropical climate and it remains hot and humid most of the time.

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by ARC

The only health problems I've noticed personally since moving to Florida is a slight increase in sinus infections (due to the humidity) and my eczema has gotten worse (due to the humidity, again). .

Eczema from humidity?
I had terrible eczema in Colorado, and my dermatologist said it was because of the dryness there. Since we moved here I have not had any eczema or any of those awful cracks in my fingers that I used to get in the winter.
Where I am, it can get pretty cold in the winter; I had to scrape the frost off my windshield yesterday morning. But by the afternoon I was able to walk the beach in just a light sweater.
My health has actually improved here, but I think this is because I tend to have dry skin.

[lulu]

From what I've observed from other people that are not from here...allergies are like the worst. Since this is a tropical atmosphere we have many plants, flowers, grasses that give off unseen pollen and are foreign to them....they mainly float in the air around spring time, though depending on the pollen index in can be any time of the year - one has to try to pinpoint the main culprit - even insect dust that floats in the air affects some. I don't have any allergy problems but my body is used to this being from here, others I guess their immune systems have a hard time accepting these pollens. Claritin anyone???

[Ladywithafan]

The weird thing about temperature in FL is that yes, it can change from sunny to stormy very quickly, I've lived in Tampa Bay area for over 15 years and I've watched no name storms come up in a matter of 20 minutes that do major damage....

We keep beach chairs, bathing suits, towels & sweatshirts in the back of the SUV, just in case.....

People with allergies don't do so well due to the humidity & mold issues.

[tallrick]

The heat is so bad it causes me to sweat a lot. Constantly wet clothes breed bacteria and cause skin damage. I have scars in places because of years of infections. The pain and rash do go away this time of the year though.

[Christian11]

Yes, the weather here does not help people with asthma and most respiratory issues. I know this girl from church that gets dizzy and has massive headaches from the constant changes in the barometric pressure (which happens at least every 2 days or so).

Weather varies a lot. During the rainy season, it helps a bit with the allergies, but due to the propensity for mold, if you have breathing problems, this will be hell on earth. I have minor sinus, and sometimes your head will hurt a lot because of the mold spores.

The humidity might or might not get to you. The % of air moisture is between 80% and 100% on any given day. Very wet here. This can affect your breathing, talk to your doc about it.

It is X-tremely hot in Florida in general. Very very humid. If you are used to bathing once per day and not sweating, this will be a big change for you!

Chris

[ARC]

I don't know why my eczema worsened here in Florida, since eczema IS dry skin. I think it has to do with the sweating/irritation factor.

Originally Posted by cil

Eczema from humidity?
I had terrible eczema in Colorado, and my dermatologist said it was because of the dryness there. Since we moved here I have not had any eczema or any of those awful cracks in my fingers that I used to get in the winter.
Where I am, it can get pretty cold in the winter; I had to scrape the frost off my windshield yesterday morning. But by the afternoon I was able to walk the beach in just a light sweater.
My health has actually improved here, but I think this is because I tend to have dry skin.

[Prichard]

Most people are not adversly affected, health-wise, from the heat and humidity. Yes, it can be quite uncomfortable, but other than heat-stroke, I wouldn't be too concerned.

However, allergies in Florida can be miserable. Mold, Oak, pollen, and cut grass are the worst offenders. When I would have a bad allergy attack, I need to stay doped up on Chlorotrimiton - which makes me feel like a zombie. Without this stuff, my eyes itch like they've been rubbed with fiberglass and my nose runs like water faucet. Your sinuses can get so swollen that you just wish some doctor would use liposuction to clean them out.