Quite a few areas had a decent amount of rain early Sunday as some upper level energy moved south from a stationary front. There were measurements of up to .8" in northern and eastern KY. After the rain cleared the skies became sunny and it was another record breaking day for the region. In Lexington highs topped 103. As we head into the week the heat continues as high pressure to our south keeps the air very hot. Temperatures in the forecast will be slightly lower but the humidity will be higher, making it still unbearable to be outdoors for a period of time. The good news is that we'll have some better rain chances through the week. The heat of the day will cause the air to rise and with a decent amount of moisture, rain and storms will develop a little easier. Highs through the week will be in the mid to upper 90s with the heat index will still be over 100 during the hottest times of the day.

We have been dealing with heat that is breaking all kinds of records. We've recorded the hottest June temperatures, one of longest streaks of 100+ temps in June, and heat that rivals the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. When you consider the average high is 86, this heat wave is not only hitting us early in the Summer but making many wonder how the rest of the season will be.

The Bluegrass was recently declared to be in a moderate drought. With only isolated to scattered storms in the forecast, conditions may worsen. As far as precipitation, we are anywhere from 3" to nearly 7" below normal rainfall for the year. That is not anything historic and we could possibly get back on track with one or two heavy rainfall events. The problem is we don't see that in the near forecast. Hopefully things change soon. Keep in mind the burn bans in place as you make your 4th of July plans!

Stay cool!
Meteorologist Kari Hall