We've had a stretch of heat alerts that go back to last Friday. Recency bias could have you saying something like, "this has been the hottest summer."
Does the data reflect that?
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Top-5 hottest summer on record in North Carolina
According to the Southeast Regional Climate Center's Climate Perspectives, the summer of 2025 ranks in the top-5 hottest on record across much of North Carolina.
For places like Raleigh, New Bern and Wilmington, it has been the hottest on record.
It's been the second-hottest in places like Boone, Charlotte, Asheville and Fayetteville.
What's behind the warmth/heat this summer?
Yes, it's summer. Yes, it gets hot.
For a lot of the state, however, this summer's heat has been more significant.
It's not just the days, though, that are hot. The night is warming quickly across much of the U.S., according to Climate Central.
I went back into the date for the Triangle, and found that to also be the case around here.
In 2025, the nighttime lows in Raleigh this summer have been 6° above the long-term average for the summer. They've been the warmest on record with an average low of 72.9°.
Part of this can be traced back to the obvious growth/urbanization in the area, but that's not the sole cause for the other 99% of places surveyed by Climate Central. It's also not the sole case for the aformentioned North Carolina towns that are experiencing an exceptionally hot summer.
A strong Bermuda High has kept the flow of warm, moist air into the Eastern U.S. much of the summer, keeping the dew point very elevated.
The dew point is the point at which the air gets wet. The temperature can't drop below that, then, right?
So, the dew point is the threshold for which nighttime lows can drop. If that dew point is higher, then nighttime lows will be higher too.
What about the heat index?
Heat index/feels-like is not factored into temperature records. They stand alone. However, it is an important number, as I previously wrote about.
Some of the highest heat index values this summer have come from the Sandhills, where it's peaked between 115° and 117.°
It's been above 100° more than two dozen days so far this summer in the Triangle and Sandhills, too.
Can the heat be to blame for our flooding?
You know the saying, "It's not the heat, it's the humidity." Well, hotter air can hold more water vapor.
Once a front taps into our hot and very humid airmass this week, we'll see an increase in slow-moving thunderstorms.
Therefore, there will be the threat for localized flash flooding.
A cool-down is on the way, however. You can read more about how significant of a cool-down we expect here.
Have questions about the weather and how it works?
Send me an email with the subject line 'Ask the Meteorologist:' to cmichaels@pugongyingbo.com.