They're not the kind of records we're looking to break, but we seem to keep breaking them.
Today, the U.S. Drought Monitor released its weekly drought map. It shows nearly 82 percent of the state is in "exceptional drought," the most severe form.
That's the highest percentage of the state in exceptional drought since the Drought Monitor began releasing the maps in 1999. Even though the map has only been around 12 years, the drought is among the most extreme Texas has ever seen, says Brian Fuchs, Climatologist with the National Drought Mitigation Center.
"Right now the forecast does not look overly favorable to change anything anytime soon," Fuchs told KUT. "I do see in the forecast over the next week or so that some of the heat may start to subside, which would be a good first step."
A cooler climate would mean less evaporation of water from Texas soil, rivers and lakes. It would also mean decreased water consumption.
