With the month now three-quarters gone, and forecasts littered with 100-plus temperatures, this July seems a cinch to be one of the warmest on record.

Fortunately, it won’t be another 1980, when the average high temperature topped 105. But it has already been plenty hot, with only one day cooler than 97 — 94 on July 15, one of two days with measurable rain.

And at least one forecast for the final week of the month takes our current hot spell and turns it up a notch.

The Weather Channel expects a high of 97 on Thursday with a chance of isolated thunderstorms from the remnants of Hurricane Dolly, according to its Web site.

But after that, its forecast is a run of triple-digit days right into August.

The National Weather Service is a bit more conservative. But its forecast calls for highs of 98 to 100 through the weekend, with just a 20 percent chance of rain on Thursday.

Here's a look at how some of the hottest temperatures from Julys past compare with what we're seeing this year:

Highest average maximum temperature: 105.3 (1980)

2. 1998 102.4

3. 1954 101.9

4. 1956 100.6

5. (tie) 1977, 1978 100.1

9. 2008* 99.1

Highest average temperature: 92 (1980)

2. 1998 91.6

3. 1954 90.5

4. 1956 89

5. (tie) 1978, 2008* 88.4

Highest average minimum temperature: 80.8 (1998)

2. 1954 79

3. 1980 78.7

4. 1925 78.2

5. 2008* 77.7

*Through July 22

SOURCE: National Weather Service

SOURCE: weather.com