Some parts of Illinois are approaching the three-digit temperature mark as well as near drought conditions.
Meteorologists are warning the public to take precautions. They say drink plenty of water, weather light colored and light weight clothing. Sunday heat warnings included Chicago as well as the far southern Illinois counties of Alexander, Hamilton, Massac, Pope and Union. Meteorologists say the temperature in Chicago reached 97 degrees and it appears to have shattered temperature records. The record for Sunday is 94 degrees. That was in 1911.
Little rainfall, a dry winter, and hot temperatures are also making things tough on young plants this spring. Last week, the U-S Department of Agriculture confirmed what farmers and gardeners have noticed: much of southern Illinois is considered to be in a “moderate drought.” And while there’s some relief in the forecast this week, John Moors of Rockford’s Klehm Arboretum says it might take some extra watering to keep your plants healthy: "superficial water typically does more harm than good whether you are watering turf or flowers, vegetables, or trees you want to water them thoroughly when you DO water them.”
Moors says a thorough watering for a lawn is an inch of water. He suggests using a straight-sided can and a ruler as a rain gauge. Angela Harden is a statistician with the US Agricultural Department. She says so far, farmers have been able to take advantage of the hot dry weather to plant their crops. But if there isn’t a substantial amount of rain soon, those crops could begin to suffer.
