Tips for Handling Tampa Bay Heat & Humidity? (apartment, how much)

[algia]

My AC sits at 78/79! No way in hell I would ever put the AC at 72! because if you do that, as soon as you walk outside in 90 degrees you get a cold! that's the easiest way to get a cold in Florida!
I drink hot tea too, but not because of anything else than pure love for tea!
Put Platinum reflective foil on windows (if you own the house), it reflects the heat back to the sun, and can offer privacy too. We love those.

You did not mention "WHERE" you had the issue? inside or outside? Drink lots of water outside...go to the beach, you'll feel the humidity a lot less there because of the awesome breeze! Look for open spaces rather than enclosed parks...

Wear sleeveless/tank-top like cotton outside...forget silk....you'd feel like those prepackaged plastic wrapped foods! LOLOLOLOL if its too hot outside, go to an AC'd gym! Pump-It Up if you have kids, and so on...when we go to Disney instead of walking outside the whole time, we walk through a store and cool off!

[user8]

Draw the blinds, wear comfortable light clothing, learn to love air conditioning and pools. The brutal heat/humidity only lasts a few months despite what some people on here say.

[sinatras]

It's gone today!!!!!!!!!!

[Sunscape]

Yes, it's gone today.
When it's really summer here I wear strictly cotton, it does make a huge difference.
Fans in the house do make a difference, as everything seems to be cooler.

[FloridaKash]

I went through my house and wired and installed ceiling fans in pretty much every room.... made a huge difference. Every bedroom has a fan as does both living rooms now.

Foil on your windows makes your house look like a meth lab, IMO. Put tinted film on the windows or close your shades. As someone mentioned... a pool is great for cooling you down. Having a pool at home was a requirement because of the heat. Nothing better than jumping into the pool after mowing the lawn or doing anything else outside.

[overit2]

Ok, so what's the max degrees it hits in summer? I know this goes on for like 4-5 months, instead of a couple?

Here in Atl we get mid 90's and even low 100's in summer for weeks in a row. It also is VERY humid in the summer.

So what is it that makes TPA seem hotter? The length of 'summer'? THe actual temps? (which seem lower then ATL), or is humidity even higher then ATL?

[algia]

I seriously doubt Tampa gets as hot as Atlanta!!! We have a breeze here, and IMO the only place where heat can feel extreme is a parking lot! so unless you work in road construction all day, I don't think there is a comparison there and I am one who doesn't like extreme heat!

You ADAPT your activities to match the weather anywhere else, so the same applies here too!!!! You don't go skiing in your bathing suit right? Well here you don't go to an enclosed park during summer, or play tennis/golf etc at 12pm!!! U go out after 6pm!

[Pragmaticus]

Originally Posted by overit2

Ok, so what's the max degrees it hits in summer? I know this goes on for like 4-5 months, instead of a couple?

Here in Atl we get mid 90's and even low 100's in summer for weeks in a row. It also is VERY humid in the summer.

So what is it that makes TPA seem hotter? The length of 'summer'? THe actual temps? (which seem lower then ATL), or is humidity even higher then ATL?

People .

Something that seems hotter than it is a matter of perception. But Tampa is hot and humid.

[kmarc]

"People"

In more ways than you can imagine. More people do add more heat to an already hot and humid environment. One of the things I loved about the eastern Hillsborough county area when I first moved here was the space. A lot of that space has been filled. And with that comes more houses, more energy use, more trash, more traffic, etc. Trees provide shade and cooling and remove carbon dioxide from the environment. But when you clear areas of trees and plant life and replace them with buildings and concrete, it's got to get hotter.

I remember reading a story in the local weekly newspaper, where a lady who grew up in the area reminisced about summer nights being cool enough to sleep without air conditioning, even needing a light blanket. I think she had what's called a "sleeping porch".

The way houses are built now, they're row on row of cookie cutter structures, spewing heat into the environment from AC units. Basically housing has become a profit delivery system for utility companies.

[user8]

Originally Posted by overit2

Ok, so what's the max degrees it hits in summer? I know this goes on for like 4-5 months, instead of a couple?

Here in Atl we get mid 90's and even low 100's in summer for weeks in a row. It also is VERY humid in the summer.

So what is it that makes TPA seem hotter? The length of 'summer'? THe actual temps? (which seem lower then ATL), or is humidity even higher then ATL?

Disregard temperature information as the primary indicator down here. Look at dewpoint and "real feel."