Just as summer seemed to be coming to an end, a heat wave brought near-record heat levels throughout the Southeast this week.

Communities across Kentucky have been facing above-normal temperatures, with some areas facing triple-digit heat.

On Tuesday, Warren County reached 98 degrees.

“Bowling Green was two degrees short of a (daily heat) record,” said Mike Crow, observation program leader at the National Weather Service Louisville Office.

The monthly climatological average in Bowling Green for September is a high of 82.1 degrees, a low of 58 degrees and an average temperature of 70.1 degrees.

The highest temperature ever recorded in September was 105 degrees on Sept. 7, 1925. The daily high temperature records for Sept 9-13 are 103, 100, 98, 98 and 100 degrees, respectively, according to Crow.

This week, the daily low temperatures have also been higher than average, with temperatures falling between 68 and 72 degrees. Warmer nights have been a trend across Kentucky in recent years, according to state climatologist Stuart Foster, who said in a previous interview that warming low temperatures are a “pretty clear pattern” statewide.

Warren County reached 95 degrees Wednesday and is expected to reach around 95 degrees Thursday and the low 90s through Monday.

It’s a good idea to stay hydrated, seek shade and be mindful of children and animals during these heat spells. The National Weather Service issued a special advisory for western Kentucky due to expected heat index values around 100 degrees through Thursday.

The worst of this heat blast should settle down by next week, according to Crow.

Overall, Kentucky’s summer might seem almost mild compared to the heat waves that broke records across the globe this year.

Starting in January, Australia faced dangerous heat, with some areas recording temperatures of 120 degrees during its summer season. In June, India endured record-breaking heat, followed by France, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and western Europe in July.

July was also the hottest month on record for Earth – and the 415th consecutive month with above-normal global temperatures, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The three-month outlook for September, October and November calls for above-normal temperatures through the continental U.S., and Kentucky has about a 40 percent chance of having above-normal temperatures, according to NOAA.