NOAA: July Was Hottest Month Ever Recorded in Contiguous US
NOAA announced that July was the hottest month on record for the contiguous United States, surpassing previous records set in 1936 and 2012. Reports across outlets largely agree on the underlying data, though some, such as The Guardian, place greater emphasis on the role of human-caused climate change and the impact of repeated heatwaves.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that July was the hottest month on record for the contiguous United States, which includes the 48 mainland states and Washington, D.C. The announcement was reported by multiple outlets, including the Associated Press, The Hill, NBC News, The Guardian, and PBS NewsHour, on or around August 10-11, 2026. According to NOAA data, the average temperature across the contiguous U.S. in July was 76.9 degrees Fahrenheit, exceeding the previous records from July 1936 and July 2012 by approximately 0.1 to 0.2 degrees. NOAA's records date back 132 years, and the agency confirmed this was the warmest month recorded in that entire period, not just the warmest July. The Guardian additionally reported that last month's average temperature was 3.3 degrees Fahrenheit (1.8 degrees Celsius) higher than the 20th-century average for the region. Multiple heatwaves affected large portions of the country during the month, contributing to the record-breaking heat. The record has been confirmed by NOAA and reported consistently across major news outlets, with no material disputes over the core data. Some reports, including The Guardian's, attribute the elevated temperatures in part to human-caused climate change, a characterization not uniformly emphasized across all sources. No further NOAA actions or policy responses were detailed in the available reporting.
SOURCE COMPARISON
How the coverage differs
Contiguous US breaks its record for hottest month ever, NOAA says
Read original report ↗July was hottest month on record in contiguous US: NOAA
July marked the hottest month on record in the contiguous U.S., according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Temperatures in the mainland 48 states and Washington, D.C., averaged 76.9 degrees Fahrenheit. That was roughly 0.1 to 0.2 degrees hotter than July 1936 and July 2012, according to the NOAA, which has records dating...
Read original report ↗The U.S. just had its hottest month on record
NOAA’s report said last month was not only the warmest July but also the warmest month in the agency’s 132 years of record-keeping.
Read original report ↗July was hottest month ever recorded in US as heatwaves scorched country
Scientists have made clear that the elevated heat in the US was being amplified by the human-caused climate crisis July was the hottest month ever recorded in the US, with repeated, scorching heatwaves across much of the country helping shatter all previous monthly temperature records stretching back over the full 132 years of reliable measurements. Last month’s average temperature was 3.3F (1.8C) higher than the 20th century average for the contiguous United States, which excludes Alaska and Hawaii, according to new data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa). Continue reading...
Read original report ↗NOAA says contiguous U.S. set record in July for hottest month ever
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the contiguous United States set a record for its hottest month ever in July.
Read original report ↗