For Kentucky weather, it's all about living in the land of extreme — from one of the hottest and driest Junes to, possibly, one of the wettest Julys.

Although recent rain made a dent in the heat, it came with its own price, says WKYT chief meteorologist Chris Bailey.

After severe storms caused flash floods, winds and hail, and downed power lines, Central Kentucky is now sitting above normal for July rainfall. But it's still on pace to be the hottest year in Lexington's history.

Bailey said the balancing act of abnormal heat and rain comes from Kentucky being on the outer edge of heat waves in nearby states such as Arkansas and Texas, "That really puts us in the line of fire for the next few weeks," he said.

"We need the rain and we want the rain, but without all the severe weather. It's been a bad go of it, especially for farmers, but this is the pattern we're sticking to for now."

University of Kentucky meteorologist Matt Dixon says the rain has dramatically improved conditions in Central Kentucky while droughts are expanding and deepening in the western part of the state.

Kentuckians will feel an impact from this, but Dixon says only time will tell to what degree.

"Any precipitation would be beneficial at this point; levels are so dry that it's inhibiting a lot of development in Western Kentucky and overall corn crops aren't amounting to anything."

Both Dixon and Bailey predict hot conditions and severe weather pockets throughout the week, with a cold front coming Thursday night.