Prices at the pump are climbing across the country and soaring temperatures may be partly to blame, oil industry experts say.
The heat can restrict oil refinery production, according to AAA. Less production increases the cost of oil, which accounts for 50% of gasoline costs, the agency said.
"You've got a lot of refineries that are coughing and wheezing," Tom Kloza, Lead Analyst & Founder of OPUS Energy told NBC News. "They're not really geared to run with 10 or 15 days of 100-degree temperatures in a row."
Gas prices have risen 13 cents over the last week to a national average of $3.75/gallon for regular gasoline, which is lower than this time last year, according to AAA. In California, gas prices are once again approaching $5/gallon on average, which is still much lower than last year's average of $5.61/gallon.
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San Diego County has already surpassed the $5 mark with an average of $5.06/gallon, according to AAA.
Further threatening the supply chain is hurricane season.
Gas prices could continue to rise this year as hurricane season approaches, said Andy Lipow, president of Lipow Oil. Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico can disrupt supply, which could result in higher gasoline and diesel prices.
