MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — Drivers are feeling the heat both outside and at the gas pump, which is an unusual sight for end-of-summer gas prices.

“Normally with school about to start we typically see these gas prices either on a plateau or starting a slow decline at this time of year,” Public Relations AAA Alabama, Clay Ingram said.

According to AAA Alabama, the current state average of gas is $3.43, which is an 18-cent increase in the past week and a 35-cent increase in the past month.

Ingram said this is due to the intense heat Alabama has seen this summer, causing supply and demand issues.

The hotter it is the more demand there is for crude oil to power electricity. But the higher the temperature the more likely problems may arise in refineries, causing a lack in production.

“The result is we have seen our crude prices go from 60-something dollars a barrel to 80-something dollars a barrel just in the last few weeks,” Ingram said.

Drivers like Richard Howell currently have to pay nearly $80 to fill their entire gas tank.

“I couldn’t pay the full price to fill it up… I paid 35 dollars,” Howell said.

Ingram hopes to see a decline in gas prices in the fall as the temperatures cool down.

“I think our natural decline in demand that we typically see in the fall will help our prices come back down soon. So, I think this is just a temporary situation so I think by the end of the year we will see prices a lot lower than they are right now,” Ingram said.