It might seem as though it’s been the hottest summer in years, but actually it’s only a little above normal.

While the temperatures have been in the low 90s and the July average is 85 degrees, “we haven’t been approaching too many record highs,” said Joel Veeneman, NIU Weather Service director.

June also was one of the driest months on record and July is still under normal, Veeneman said. “We’re well under the normal season.”

Sudden thunderstorms instead of all-day showers have been common this summer. Veeneman said this is caused by warm air from the Gulf of Mexico and cool air from Canada condensing. If the contrast is big enough it causes thunderstorms, he said.

Veeneman said the drought is not like the 1988 drought which was over a larger area.

“This time it’s only over a limited area,” he said. “For Illinois farmers it’s especially bad.”

Bob Pritchard, public relations manager at DeKalb Plant Genetics, said farmers have “lost yield from the hot and dry temperatures. The crop is not as good as it could have been.” But he said the crops have been doing “surprisingly well” (despite the weather) because of ground-stored moisture from the spring.

Signs of stress from the hot and dry weather are smaller kernel size and shorter stalks, Pritchard said. Farmers already are seeing shorter fields because of this stress, he said.

Pritchard said “things could change” if the weather improved. But Veeneman said the drought will continue. “Long-range patterns say it’s going to be drier,” he said.

The NIU Weather Service forecast for today is sunny with a high of 84 degrees and an evening low of 62 degrees. Thursday and Friday are expected to be the same with a chance of rain this weekend.