"Aug-tember" temperatures strike KC

• It's part of record-high September temps that have stretched across the country and left Kansas Citians sweltering.

Zoom in: The heat arrived after downpours Wednesday, with heat indexes forecast to push 100-105 through the weekend.

What they're saying: "Aug-tember weather continues," FOX4 meteorologist Joe Lauria wrote in his Wednesday weather blog, adding that the first half of September was hotter than the first half of August or July. "Remarkable."

Stunning stat: We haven't seen persistent temperatures like this since the Dust Bowl.

• It's the sixth hottest start to September in KC history, with an average mean temp of 80, Lauria reports.
• Most of the higher rankings come from the 1930s.

Zoom out: A super El Niño weather pattern has been heating the air across the globe, starting in June and ramping up in August.

• The National Weather Service predicts the pattern will continue through the winter and possibly into spring.
• That means KC will likely see warmer-than-normal winter temps and less snowfall, KCUR reports.

The bottom line: The heat is on, and it's here to stay.