A long stretch of dry weather is starting to have an impact locally. According to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor Report, Marion County is once again rated as abnormally dry and the northern third of Warren County is now in moderate drought. All of south central Iowa, mainly south of Highway 92, is also abnormally dry, and drought has expanded to all of Polk and most of Jasper Counties. No rainfall has been recorded locally in June thus far, and a stretch of well-above average temperatures that has settled into the region since the beginning of the month is expected to continue for the next few weeks. Conditions are expected to persist for some time into the summer , according to the National Climate Prediction Center, as no significant precipitation is in the forecast for several weeks.