Average temperatures were up 2.5 degrees in Atlanta, Athens, Macon, Savannah and Augusta from what is considered normal July weather.

Several of those cities actually set new records for daily highs. Athens reached 103 degrees on its hottest July day since 1925 while Savannah reached 102 degrees surpassing a 1940 record.

The period of May through July was the warmest on record for Atlanta, Athens and Savannah.

Assistant State Climatologist Pam Knox says the heat combined with below average rainfall has been hard on crops in some parts of the state, especially in places where irrigation isn’t available.

"In those areas that’s really shut down the plants," said Knox. "They really aren’t putting out new growth and developing their seed pods as much as you’d like to expect."

Knox says that if temperatures keep rising and the dry spell continues some farmers could be facing severe crop loss.

Tags: Georgia weather, temperature, Assistant State Climatologist Pam Knox, heat wave, heatwave, record breaking temperature, July heat