The month of July was the sixth-hottest month on record for the state of Missouri, dating back to 1895 -- and it was the hottest month overall in the Show-Me State since the 1980 heat wave.

Pat Guinan is both the state's official climatologist and a climatology professor at the University of Missouri -- Columbia.  He says there have been numerous days this month where much of the state experienced triple-digit temperatures.

"Numerous days in the 90's, with low temperatures not getting out of the 70's," Guinan said.  "In fact, in the urban locations there have been several days where the minimum temperatures never dropped out of the 80's."

Guinan also says southwestern Missouri has gotten the worst of it.

"That's all part of the record heat and drought conditions we've seen in the southern plains, across much of Texas and on into Oklahoma," Guinan said.  "Of course, southwestern Missouri is closer to that region, and so we've seen these higher temperatures during the month of July."

Guinan says the excessive heat is expected to continue through at least the first half of August.

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