When the heat wave of July 1980 was still in force, this article appeared in the Marion Daily Republican notating previous heat waves in the area’s past.

Mercury Hit 115 in 1901

While the present heat wave in Southern Illinois has some aspects that put it into the running as the worst ever, it has not yet topped the record for the hottest day. That distinction, according to old files of the Daily Republican, goes to a day in July, 1901 when the official reading at a weather station in Centralia was 115 degrees. Continue reading →