Despite forecast to the contrary, 90-degree streak ties record

Friday, August 5, 2011

A heat wave that oppressed Central Indiana for more than two weeks tied a record.

National Weather Service meteorologist Joe Skowronek says the temperature hit 90 degrees for the 19th consecutive day on Thursday. That ties the streak of days with temperatures at 90 or above set from Aug. 8 to Aug. 26, 1936.

The National Weather Service called for highs only in the upper 80s on Thursday. But Indianapolis briefly hit 90 degrees just before 2:30 p.m., the weather service said.

Don't look for the heat to break the record streak, though. The weather service forecasts a high of only 86 on Friday.

Indianapolis had a sizzling July -- the second hottest month on record -- with the average temperature for the month of 82.0 degrees, falling just short of an 82.8-degree average hit in July 1936.

Along with the heat, dry weather also set a record. July 2011 was the driest ever in central Indiana for that month, with just 0.47 inches of rainfall recorded at Indianapolis International Airport.

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