The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced on August 10 that July 2026 set a new record as the hottest month ever measured across the contiguous United States, surpassing all prior monthly averages in the agency's historical dataset. The finding is based on temperature observations collected from weather stations nationwide and reflects both daytime highs and overnight lows averaged across the 48 contiguous states.

The record comes amid a summer marked by prolonged heat waves that swept across multiple regions of the country, straining power grids, prompting heat advisories, and contributing to heat-related illness and death in several states. NOAA's monthly climate report, which draws on data going back to 1895, provides the authoritative benchmark for national temperature records in the United States.

Federal climate scientists noted that the July figure continued a pattern of record-breaking heat in recent years. The contiguous U.S. record adds to a broader global trend documented by international climate agencies, though NOAA's announcement was specifically limited to domestic measurements for the lower 48 states.

Public health officials in several states used the NOAA announcement to underscore warnings about heat exposure, particularly for elderly residents, outdoor workers, and those without access to air conditioning. Energy grid operators in regions most affected by the heat reported elevated demand throughout the month.

The record was reported across a wide range of news outlets with varying emphasis on its causes and policy implications, though the underlying NOAA finding itself was not disputed by any major outlet. The agency is expected to release additional analysis in coming weeks examining regional breakdowns and contributing atmospheric factors.