Some areas received above-average and record August rainfall this week

Monday, August 22, 2016

SIKESTON -- This week's heavy rainfall has already created above-average totals and broken records in some places for the month of August. The National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky., said Paducah has had over 8 inches of rain, making it the wettest August record. Normal rainfall for the whole month is 2.76 inches. From Aug. 12-18, the heaviest totals were confined to portions of Southeast Missouri and Southwest Illinois, where many areas saw 8 to 12 inches. Some isolated locations received upwards of 15 to 17 inches in Carter and Wayne Counties in Missouri. By comparison, the normal rainfall for the whole month of August is around 3 inches. "So many areas have picked up between three and five times the normal August rainfall in under a week," the National Weather Service said. In Sikeston, a total of 4.23 inches of precipitation was recorded over the six-day period by the Sikeston Power Station, which serves as an official weather observer for the National Weather Service. The rainfall total in Sikeston for the whole month so far is 4.31 inches. According to the Weather Service, Poplar Bluff had nearly 7 inches of rain while Cape Girardeau had just under 3.5 inches. As of Thursday, the National Weather Service has now seen measurable rain in some part of its forecast area for 49 of the past 50 days, dating back to June 30. The only completely dry day during this period was back on Aug. 7. Paducah has also now had over 8 inches in back-to-back months. The last time this occurred was April-May 2011 when 15.91 and 8.74 inches fell respectively. April 2011 remains the wettest month on record. A cold front moved through the region Saturday ahead of and along with thunderstorms. There is an almost daily chance of thunderstorms Tuesday through Friday, according to the Weather Service. Widespread severe weather is not anticipated at this time. Lightning and locally heavy rainfall look to be the primary storm-associated hazards.

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