What effect is the heat wave going to have on hurricane season?

With recent heat indexes setting record highs, some may wonder what effect the temperatures might have on tropical storms and hurricanes.

Justin Kiefer, meteorologist at WMBB TV in Panama City, said there is no direct correlation between our current record-breaking heat wave and an increase or decrease of the occurrence of hurricanes.

"Looking back to years when we had a similar heat wave in June, which was 1980 or 1981, we had a couple of storms," he said. "The first occurred before the heat wave and the second later. I don't think there's a connection between the two (heat and storms)."

However, Kiefer did cite one connection, and that is the influence of El Nino and its warming and cooling of Pacific waters.

"There are indications an El Nino is developing and when they get warmer than normal, it will influence stronger winds here," he said.

Kiefer said an El Nino year typically leads to warmer dry spells in the Southeast and can have more to do with global weather patterns than local heat waves.

He added that upper-level winds are currently fairly strong, which inhibits growing storms.

However, El Nino is setting up for an August development.

"I would expect to see less frequent storms this season," he said, but added that a big asterisk to that is it only takes one in the Gulf to make a bad year.

"We need to prepare for that one storm, not a season," he said.