The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said July 2026 was the hottest month on record in the contiguous United States, with the latest figures highlighting a continued warming trend driven by human-caused climate change.

The average temperature across the 48 contiguous states reached 76.9 degrees Fahrenheit (24.9 degrees Celsius), excluding Alaska, Hawaii and U.S. territories. NOAA said the figure made July 2026 the hottest July in its 132-year climate record and also the hottest month ever recorded in the United States. The average was 3.3 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th-century average, surpassing the previous monthly record of 76.8 degrees set in July 1936.

Above-average temperatures were recorded across much of the country, including the interior West, Southwest, Rocky Mountains, northern Plains, upper Midwest, Gulf Coast and parts of the Southeast. Wyoming recorded its hottest July and hottest month on record, with temperatures averaging 5.1 degrees Fahrenheit above normal. The state's July average was also 0.9 degrees higher than its previous July record set in 2007.

NOAA data showed that the other four hottest Julys on record were in 2012, 2006, 2022 and earlier years. Scientists have increasingly linked the long-term rise in temperatures to human-caused climate change, with fossil fuel use remaining a major driver of global warming and increasing concerns over extreme heat events.