With the state experiencing its most severe early summer drought conditions in nearly a decade, Texans are facing a wave of especially hot and dry weather that may kick off one of the state’s hottest summers on record, says Texas A&M University climate expert John Nielsen-Gammon.

A regents professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences who serves as the Texas state climatologist, Nielsen-Gammon said the state has already been experiencing higher-than-average temperatures this year, with last month tying for the second-hottest May in Texas history.

Read more from Luke Henkhaus with Texas A&M Today here.