No one has to tell anybody that this summer has been one of the hottest in quite a while.  There have been only a handful of days since the beginning of June when temperatures were near normal or slightly below.  Highs have been around 90 or above on most days.  So far the WITN Weather Station has averaged almost 3 degrees above normal from June 1 through August 10.  Believe it or not, June has actually been the hottest month of the summer.  Usually July and August try to earn that honor.  Hotter than normal conditions are likely to persist through the remainder of August.  So far this month we've averaged between 2 and 3 degrees above normal.  Rainfall has been slightly below normal in most locations in eastern North Carolina although a few communities have received near normal rainfall during the past 5 to 6 weeks.