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This Popular Vacation Destination Exceeded 116 Degrees

This Popular Vacation Destination Exceeded 116 Degrees

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38. Panama City Beach, FL

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37. Orange Beach, AL

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36. Litchfield Beach, SC

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35. Ormond-by-the-Sea, FL

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34. Islamorada, Village of Islands, FL

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33. Palm Beach, FL

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32. Key Largo, FL

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31. Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, FL

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30. Surfside, FL

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29. Sunny Isles Beach, FL

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28. Aventura, FL

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27. Pembroke Park, FL

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26. Key Biscayne, FL

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25. Marco Island, FL

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24. La Quinta, CA

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23. Daytona Beach Shores, FL

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22. Hilton Head Island, SC

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21. St. Augustine Beach, FL

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20. Sanibel, FL

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19. Treasure Island, FL

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18. St. Pete Beach, FL

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17. Lely Resort, FL

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16. Fort Myers Beach, FL

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15. Iona, FL

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14. Naples, FL

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13. Palm Desert, CA

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12. Rotonda, FL

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11. Rancho Mirage, CA

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10. Bonita Springs, FL

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9. Estero, FL

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8. Pelican Bay, FL

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7. Four Corners, FL

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6. Cortez, FL

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5. Longboat Key, FL

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4. Zephyrhills South, FL

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3. Zephyrhills West, FL

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2. Siesta Key, FL

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1. Fortuna Foothills, AZ

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38. Panama City Beach, FL
37. Orange Beach, AL
36. Litchfield Beach, SC
35. Ormond-by-the-Sea, FL
34. Islamorada, Village of Islands, FL
33. Palm Beach, FL
32. Key Largo, FL
31. Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, FL
30. Surfside, FL
29. Sunny Isles Beach, FL
28. Aventura, FL
27. Pembroke Park, FL
26. Key Biscayne, FL
25. Marco Island, FL
24. La Quinta, CA
23. Daytona Beach Shores, FL
22. Hilton Head Island, SC
21. St. Augustine Beach, FL
20. Sanibel, FL
19. Treasure Island, FL
18. St. Pete Beach, FL
17. Lely Resort, FL
16. Fort Myers Beach, FL
15. Iona, FL
14. Naples, FL
13. Palm Desert, CA
12. Rotonda, FL
11. Rancho Mirage, CA
10. Bonita Springs, FL
9. Estero, FL
8. Pelican Bay, FL
7. Four Corners, FL
6. Cortez, FL
5. Longboat Key, FL
4. Zephyrhills South, FL
3. Zephyrhills West, FL
2. Siesta Key, FL
1. Fortuna Foothills, AZ

Winter is almost upon us and after the record-hot summer many experienced throughout the globe, it may seem as though a reprieve is in sight. Temperatures soared in the United States, with the summer of 2024 ranking as one of the hottest summers on record, per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with record-breaking intense heat seen in many regions. The average temperature in the contiguous U.S. was 2.5 degrees above average, with some states seeing their warmest on record.

NOAA's National Weather Service states that about 44.3 million people – or about 13 percent of the population of the contiguous United States – live in areas where dangerous heat levels were forecasted. When calculating how hot it feels, NOAA uses a metric called the heat index, which takes into account both temperature and humidity. Many of these areas that experienced dangerously high heat indexes are also popular vacation destinations.

To determine the popular vacation destinations that had extreme heat, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on heat index forecasts from the NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Prediction. Cities were ranked based on the average forecasted heat index maximum for July 19 to 21, 2024. Data was aggregated from points to cities using Voronoi tessellation and place boundaries from the U.S. Census Bureau's TIGER/Line program.

Only cities with at least 150,000 residents were considered. Only cities where at least 25% of the housing stock is vacant for seasonal, recreational, or occasional use – a proxy for vacation activity – with at least 5,000 residents were considered. Data on population and vacancy status is from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey and are five-year estimates for 2022. (Check out these vacation hotspots that are still being threatened with excessive heat).

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