The average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gas increased 14 cents over the past week, as demand picked up over the Independence Day holiday period and Hurricane Beryl headed toward Texas.
The AAA auto club said the average price Monday in Florida was $3.50, a penny lower than the national average.
While Hurricane Beryl wasn’t expected to seriously affect Gulf Coast refineries, concerns remain because of predictions about a hyperactive storm season, which started June 1 and will continue through November.
Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said in a post on the company’s website that the “road ahead may be bumpy” this summer.
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“Activity in the tropics has increased, and projections remain for a very busy hurricane season,” De Haan wrote. “Even after the holiday fireworks are over, we’ll be watching for any potential fireworks at the pump that could be brought on by hurricanes disrupting refineries.”
Florida’s prices have been increasing since hitting $3.25 a gallon on June 16.
Average prices Monday ranged from $3.20 a gallon in the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach area to $3.67 a gallon in the West Palm Beach-Boca Raton area, according to AAA.
