This Summer has been one for the record books! As soon as Summer officially began sweltering heat descended on the region breaking all kinds of records. The heat wave was kicked off by a lack of rain and a strong, stubborn area of high pressure. Temperatures soared over 100 degrees for a week and a half, rivaling the type of weather we had during the 1930s Dust Bowl. Most of central and eastern KY had a drought that ranked in the top 5 with a few areas recording the driest conditions ever for the month of June. Lexington only measured 1.61" of rain making it the 5th driest on record. London had the driest June ever.

As soon as we got past the 4th of July, we caught a break as the ridge weakened and allowed for a few storms to come our way. But once those storms finally fired up, it did not stop. Most days featured scattered heavy downpours and some slow moving storms. Eastern KY racked up the most rain. West Liberty just recorded the wettest July on record with an amazing 12.02 inches! Many other spots are at or heading towards the wettest July with still a couple more days left in the month.

We could see some more rain moving in late Monday into Tuesday. It looks like as we flip the page on the calendar, we could be making history. We know that Kentucky weather can be wild at times but this shows how quickly and drastically things can change.

Have a great week!
Meteorologist Kari Hall