AAA: Beryl pushes Florida’s gas prices upward

ORLANDO, Fla. — Motorists in recent days have been dealing with a noticeable spike at the pump.

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AAA said Florida’s gas prices jumped 18 cents last week, causing drivers in the Sunshine State to pay the most they have in nearly two months.

On July 4, the state’s average price for a gallon of gas was $3.53.

That was 27 cents more than a year ago, but about $1 less than on Independence Day 2022, according to the auto club.

SEE: Large dump trucks catch fire in Marion County

Experts said Mother Nature is partially to blame for the recent rise.

“Fuel prices face continued upward pressure on concerns about Tropical Storm Beryl, and economic data suggesting that the U.S. Federal Reserve could lower interest rates to boost growth,” AAA’s Mark Jenkins said.

Beryl made landfall early Monday as Category 1 hurricane near Matagorda, Texas.

READ: Hurricane Beryl makes landfall in Texas

AAA said the Gulf Coast is home to about half of the fuel refining capacity in the U.S.

While impacts of Beryl aren’t expected to cause significant disruptions to the oil and gas industries, it will likely take a few days after Beryl moves out of the region to determine the storm’s impact on prices across the country.

Meantime, Florida’s average price for gas on Monday showed a slight improvement when compared to the recent holiday, settling at $3.50 per gallon.

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