Archive · 11 Aug 2026
Americans Endure Hottest Month in 132 Years, NOAA Reports
The United States just had its hottest month in 132 years of record keeping.
In July, the average temperature across the country was about 77 degrees Fahrenheit.
That is warmer than any other month ever recorded.
The old record was set in 1936, during a very hot and dusty time in American history.
This July beat that record by just a tiny bit.
The heat came from hot air that parked over the country for weeks.
Scientists say climate change, a weather pattern called El Niño, and heat domes all made it worse.
Climate change happens when the Earth gets warmer because of things people do.
Because of global warming, scientists say this July might one day feel like a cool month.
Experts warn that more heat records could fall before the year ends.
The US mainland recorded its hottest month ever, with an average July temperature of 76.9F (24.9C), according to NOAA.
July's average was about three degrees higher than the 20th-century average and surpassed the previous record set in July 1936 by about 0.1F.
Weeks of scorching temperatures included a heat dome over the July 4 holiday and sweeping heat warnings later in the month.
A Climate Central attribution study found 43 cities had a week or more where global warming made temperatures at least twice as likely to occur.
Average daytime temperatures reached 89.5F while overnight lows were the hottest ever recorded at 64.2F, and higher-than-average August temperatures are expected across central and southern US areas.
- Who
- The American public; NOAA, which reported the data; and scientists Andrew Pershing of Climate Central and Marshall Shepherd of the University of Georgia, who commented on the heat.
- What
- The US mainland experienced its hottest month since temperature tracking began 132 years ago, with July averaging 76.9F (24.9C).
- When
- July, with the record announced by NOAA on a Monday (the article does not state the year).
- Where
- The US mainland; Europe was also facing its fifth major heat wave of the year, and August forecasts cover central and southern US areas including parts of coastal California and the southern Plains.
- Why
- A combination of massive heat domes, El Niño, and human-caused climate change, which scientists say makes heat waves more likely and more intense.
- Average July temperature
- 76.9F (24.9C)
- Previous record
- July 1936 (Dust Bowl era), exceeded by about 0.1F
- Comparison to 20th-century average
- About 3 degrees warmer
- Average daytime high
- 89.5F
- Average overnight low
- 64.2F (hottest ever recorded)
- Cities with warming-linked heat
- 43 (Climate Central attribution study)
- Europe status
- Facing its fifth major heat wave of the year
- August outlook
- Higher-than-average temperatures in central and southern US; greater than 50% odds for parts of coastal California and southern Plains