It's official: Philly's summer rain record

Philadelphia's record-setting summer rainfall has become official.

Philadelphia broke its record for the rainiest summer ever at the beginning of August, when the season wasn't close to finished.

Now, the meteorological summer -- June 1 to Aug. 31 -- is over, giving Philly its official record-setting number: 29.71 inches of rain fell at Philadelphia International Airport, according to the National Weather Service.

That total easily surpasses the previous summer rainfall record of 24.59 inches, set in 2011. Before that record was set two years ago, Philadelphia's summer rain record had stood for nearly a century. The now-third-highest total is the 22.93 inches recorded in 1906.

Other parts of the area also had rainy summers, the weather service says.

Wilmington's summer was the fifth-wettest on record, with 22.93 inches of rain. The city's record is the 26.12 inches recorded in 1919.

Allentown had its fourth-rainiest summer, with 21.31 inches, not far below the 2011 record of 22.17 inches.

And September already has its own rain record: A daily rainfall record was set Monday, with 1.89 inches recorded.