July was the hottest month on record in the United States.

July became the hottest month on record in the United States: repeated waves of sweltering heat engulfed much of the country and broke all previous temperature records in 132 years of systematic observations, writes The Guardian.

The average temperature last month was 3,3°F (1,8°C) above the 20th-century average for the continental United States, excluding Alaska and Hawaii, according to new data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

This means that last month was the hottest July ever, and the hottest month overall since records began in 1895. The new record surpassed previous highs set in July 1936, during the height of the Dust Bowl drought, and in July 2012.

On the subject: Heat in the USA: what temperature to set on the air conditioner to freshen up, but not catch a cold

This July, the United States experienced three separate simultaneous episodes of a so-called "heat dome," when hot air lingers over a region for extended periods due to stationary high-pressure systems. According to the agency, extreme heat affected much of the western United States, the Rocky Mountains, the northern Midwest, the Gulf Coast, and the southeast. Wyoming recorded its hottest July on record, with temperatures exceeding normal by 5,1°F (2,8°C).

For a month, parts of the United States remained shrouded in wildfire smoke, with large blazes engulfing forests in Canada and the Pacific Northwest. Scientists note that both elevated temperatures and large-scale fires are significantly exacerbated by the climate crisis caused by human activity and the accelerated burning of fossil fuels.

Heat-trapping gases released from the burning of coal, oil, and gas are raising global temperatures and fueling deadly heat waves that have hit the United States and Europe this year, where they are currently experiencing their hottest summer on record. Massive wildfires, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes and leaving millions breathing toxic smoke, have become a defining feature of the season in North America and Europe.

The record average monthly temperature set in July—while the record for the highest daily temperature still stands in July 2024—has already impacted the lives of many Americans, according to a survey published last week by the AP-NORC Research Service.

Nearly half of those surveyed in the US said rising energy bills, which increased as people tried to cool their homes with air conditioners, had a significant impact. Nearly 40% of respondents said the heat had changed their travel plans.

About two-thirds of survey respondents noted that extreme heat had impacted their families' outdoor activities, and about half said it had interfered with their exercise routines. Overall, the impact of heat on various aspects of American life was more widespread than two years ago, when the same questions were asked.

Despite the unfolding consequences of the climate crisis, Donald Trump continues his attempts to curtail the development of affordable clean energy while simultaneously increasing fossil fuel production. Previously, the US president called climate science "nonsense" and "a hoax" and urged other countries to burn fossil fuels more aggressively, leading to temperatures rising to levels never before experienced by humanity.

You may be interested in: top New York news, stories of our immigrants and helpful tips about life in the Big Apple - read it all on ForumDaily New York

An unusually strong El Niño event (a periodic climate process in which part of the Pacific Ocean warms and alters weather patterns around the world) is highly likely to make next year the hottest on the planet, surpassing the record set recently in 2024. Some scientists believe the developing El Niño could lead to the record being broken as early as this year.

"The bottom line is that global temperature records will continue to be broken as long as carbon emissions continue to warm the planet. This most often occurs during periods of peak El Niño activity," said University of Pennsylvania climate scientist Michael Mann.

Read also on ForumDaily:

XNUMX myths about salvation from the heat, in which you should not believe

Dangerous to life: what is heatstroke and how to escape from it

25 people have died in the United States due to abnormal heat that has set temperature records.

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.