US swelters through record July as NOAA confirms hottest month since 1895
NOAA data show July 2026 was the hottest month on record in the United States since 1895, with the Lower 48 averaging 3.3°F above the 20th‑century average, edging out July 1936 and July 2012. Heat domes stretched from the East Coast to the Plains and Southwest, 13 states posted top‑5 warm Julys, and Wyoming logged its hottest month on record; scientists link the extreme heat to long‑term climate change and a developing El Niño. The heat helped fuel wildfires and drove Lake Mead to a record low, while Europe also faced severe heat waves.