The scorching summer weather the GTA has seen over the past 3 months has been record-setting.

According to Environment Canada meteorologist Dave Phillips, the region has broken records set back in 1999.

"If you take a look at the average temperature of May, June and July ... there's never been a warmer 3-month period," says Phillips.

The previous record, set in 1999, has a daily average temperature of 20.1 degrees but the summer of 2012 has so far surpassed that by a comfortable margin, with an average temperature of 20.5 degrees.

Phillips says there have been 21 days with temperatures 30 degrees or above (2 in May, 6 in June and 13 in July).  Normally, Toronto would only see 10 of those days.  He adds that 13 nights have been warmer than 20 degrees.  Toronto usually only sees 4 of those balmy evenings. 

Phillips also expects August to be hotter than normal, which is good news if you've booked vacation time for late in the season.

According to Phillips, warm air originating from the United States is mostly responsible for the hot, muggy summer in the GTA.  He says the cold air from Canada's north which usually makes its way to the region to mitigate the heat has been mostly absent so far this season.

Phillips says the heat follows a larger trend, which the last 15 months being warmer than normal.