By Alec Etheredge/Staff writer

This summer the pool may not even be enough to cool you down. Have you noticed that the water has actually been warm when you jump in? Well that’s because we are having an unusually hot and dry summer in Clanton.

Last summer, Clanton had 17 days in June that were in the 80’s and even one day that decided to dip down into the 70’s. This summer that number declined to 12 days in the 80’s, while the rest of June was in the 90’s.

July has started out on a similar trend, last year July was much cooler with the first seven days not getting out of the 80’s and the highest temperature all of last July was 96 degrees. This July we have already hit 97 and 99 and haven’t had one day below 93.

“Temperatures are warmer because we are having such a dry summer,” said Connor Baird of the National Weather Service. “With less rainfall to cool down the atmosphere it is causing an uncomfortably hot summer with heat indexes near 100 degrees every day.”

Clanton had 5.12 inches of rain last June, but only 2.49 inches this June.  That’s almost three inches less than last year.

“It is extremely hard to predict what will happen, but conditions will probably continue to stay just as hot unless we see some kind of tropical system because an upper level ridge is preventing thunderstorms from producing right now,” Baird said.

Baird also gave some tips on precautions to take when it comes to staying safe in the summer heat: “Stay hydrated, limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade, take breaks, don’t leave anybody in a car, wear a sunscreen of at least SPF 15 and wear light colored clothes.”

Don’t forget about that furry little one in your life either. According to the Humane Society of The United States’ website, many of the same precautions that you would follow should also be followed for your pets. Don’t rely on fans because pets sweat through their feet so fans won’t help as much. Limit their exercise on hot days. Make sure to provide ample amounts of shade and water, and the Humane Society even recommends DIY peanut butter popsicles for dogs to help cool down their body temperature. One of the biggest problems, the Humane Society stresses, is to not leave a pet in the car, even if the window is down, as this can easily cause heatstroke.

So if you’re outdoors this summer, beat the heat by finding some shade and enjoying a Popsicle with your pup.