More warm weather expected in Indy this August

Thought the recent heat wave was bad? Imagine a high temperature of 106 degrees.

The state's hottest recorded temperature was just that on July 14, 1936, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures were forecasted in the 90s, but climbed much higher than that thanks to the heat index, which factors in temperature and humidity to create a "feels like" temperature.

OK, so maybe it hasn't been record-setting, but this summer has felt a little warm, right?

Actually, no.

We're only running about one degree above average in Indianapolis, according to NWS meteorologist Mike Ryan.

"It’s really been a fairly typical summer from a temperature standpoint here in Central Indiana," Ryan said.

According to the National Weather Service's 2015 Annual Climatological Summary for Indianapolis, the hottest temperature recorded at the Indianapolis International Airport was 94 degrees last September. Overall, there were 13 days with recorded high temperatures above 90 degrees.

By Saturday, the hottest temperature recorded was 92 degrees on June 11-12 and July 24.

So far this year, there have been 15 days with recorded highs above 90 degrees. Seven of those days were recorded in July alone, with another eight in June, Ryan said.

Weekend forecast calls for extreme heat and humidity

Even though it feels warm this summer, temperatures pale in comparison to the summer of 2012, when Indianapolis recorded more than 50 days with temperatures above 90 degrees.

"It's all about perspective," Ryan said. "That was certainly the hottest summer we’d had in recent memory. We’re not close to that."

For now, it looks like August is going to maintain the status quo.

The NWS released its August outlook this past week, predicting above average-temperatures for most of the country, including the southern half of the state. Precipitation is expected to be about average.

We can expect the heat, and some of the humidity, to stick around.

"With how the summer is going so far, it’s pretty likely that we’ll see a couple more days of 90 degrees in August," Ryan said. "We will see periods where it’s more humid, and kind of that oppressive feeling, but, again, that’s typical of August weather."

Call IndyStar reporter Holly Hays at (317) 444-6156. Follow her on Twitter: @hollyvhays.