Heat making you miserable? You’re not alone. A persistently hot July — the hottest on average in nearly 60 years — is taking its toll on Iowa livestock.

According to the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association, between 3,500 and 4,000 cattle have died as a result of the recent weeks of overbearing heat and humidity. That accounts for less than 1 percent of Iowa’s 1.2 million head of cattle, according to the Cattlemen’s Association.

“We definitely have put the livestock herd under stress this year with the weather,” said Dave Miller, director of research and commodity services for the Iowa Farm Bureau who also farms in Lucas County.

Temperatures in Iowa averaged 78.8 degrees during the month of July, a full five degrees higher than average, state climatologist Harry Hillaker said. That makes it the hottest July since 1955 and the warmest calendar month since August 1983, he said. Read More…