The U.S. just had its hottest month on record

Climate changeThe U.S. just had its hottest month on recordNOAA’s report said July 2026 was not only the warmest July but also the warmest-ever month in the agency’s 132 years of record-keeping. Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00People gather along the boardwalk at Coney Island before a fireworks show in Brooklyn on July 04, in New York CitySpencer Platt / Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleAug. 10, 2026, 4:13 PM EDTBy Denise ChowThe United States sweltered through its hottest July ever recorded last month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration confirmed Monday.Warmer-than-normal temperatures affected the entire contiguous U.S., averaging 76.9 degrees for the month, which was 3.3 degrees above the 20th-century average, according to NOAA. The troubling milestone came amid a month chock full of extreme weather events that hit nearly every corner of the country, including heat waves, drought, severe storms, flooding and wildfires.NOAA’s report said July 2026 was not only the warmest July but also the warmest-ever month in the agency’s 132 years of record-keeping. Water bottles are added to a bucket of ice at the "Great American State Fair" on the National Mall on July 4, in Washington, D.C. Anna Rose Layden / Getty ImagesFor much of the country, it was a hot and dry month. At the end of July, around 40% of the U.S. and Puerto Rico was in the grips of drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, which tracks conditions nationwide and releases weekly updates.Despite widespread drought, several regions experienced heavy rainfall in July that caused damaging flash flooding. Intense rain fell across Texas Hill Country from July 13 to 17, producing rainfall totals of more than 28 inches near the town of Knippa, in Uvalde County, according to NOAA. Later in the month, from July 28 to 30, slow-moving thunderstorms dumped nearly 12 inches of rain over eastern New York, causing major flash flooding.July is typically one of the hot...