Beach-goers along the Jersey Shore have good reason to rave about how warm the ocean has been.
It hasn't only been hot on land during recent days.
The Atlantic Ocean is also heating up off the Jersey coast, breaking a new record in Atlantic City, where the ocean temperature hit 83.3 degrees at the city marina at 6 p.m. Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
The previous record was 83.1 degrees, set five summers ago.
Although the water temperature records only date back to 1995, the new mark in Atlantic City is still noteworthy, said Walter Drag, a meteorologist at the weather service's regional forecast office in Mount Holly.
"It's a short period of record, but the water temperatures are warm. There's no question about it," Drag said. "They're running well above normal."
Why it's feeling so hot and sticky outside
Wednesday's 83-degree water temperature was 11 degrees hotter than the average water temperature in Atlantic City during the first half of August. The ocean temperature usually jumps to its seasonal high of 73 in the second half of August.
Late Thursday morning, the ocean temperature in Cape May was 80.1, Atlantic City was 79.2 and Sandy Hook was 79.7, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Down along Delaware Bay in Cumberland County, the water temperature was 82.2 degrees.
Last weekend, ocean temperatures along the Jersey Shore were running as much as 5 degrees above normal for early August. Meteorologists attributed the warmth to the persistent onshore wind flow, with the air moving from the ocean to the land. That allows the warmer ocean water to remain near the surface and colder water to remain near the bottom layers of the ocean.
Aside from bringing warmer temperatures, the onshore flow has generated strong rip currents, causing a spike in water rescues along the Jersey Shore.
NOTE: For the latest water temperatures and rip current alerts at New Jersey beaches, check the National Weather Service's beach forecast page.
Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @LensReality or like him on Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.