Champaign-Urbana sets heat record

If there were any doubts that July had been one hot month, the Illinois State Water Survey now has confirmation for at least one slice of the state.

According to The News-Gazette newspaper in Champaign, the Water Survey says this July is the second hottest since 1900 in the Champaign-Urbana area.

The Water Survey says the mean temperature for the month has been 80.9 degrees. The only hotter July was in 1936 when the mean was 83.1.

Want more proof? The Water Survey says the area has had 17 days this month with highs of 90 or more. An average July has seven such days.

And people in eastern Illinois shouldn’t expect a change anytime soon. National Weather Service forecasts call for highs near or past 90 into next week.