By The Associated Press

(AP) - TOO DARN HOT: The nation's most withering drought in decades only got worse in key farming states last week despite cooler temperatures that provided a break from the stifling heat, according to a new drought report.

WITHERING CROP: Just over two-thirds of Iowa, the nation's biggest corn producer, is in extreme or exceptional drought, up more than 5 percentage points from the previous week.

WORSENING PATTERN: In the lower 48 states, there was a slight increase in the overall area experiencing at least some drought, to 63.2 percent on this week's map, from 61.8 percent on last week's.

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