Technology and Science · updated 2h ago · 2 min read
NOAA Says United States Logged Hottest Summer On Record In 132 Years
Contiguous United States averaged 23.6°C (74.4°F) from June to August. This summer was the hottest on record in 132 years of NOAA data.
11 outlets, one story, no spin found.
4 of 6 outlets skipped it: US drought monitor: 79% abnormally dry, 59% in drought.
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Hottest summer, record heat
The United States logged its hottest summer on record in 132 years of NOAA recordkeeping, with the meteorological summer defined as June through August averaging 74.4 degrees Fahrenheit across the 48 contiguous states.
“The difference between the new and old seasonal records was 0.4 degrees Fahrenheit”
NOAA said August 2026 was also the hottest month on record, with an average temperature of 75.6 F in the contiguous United States.
CNN reported that the difference between the new and old seasonal records was 0.4 degrees Fahrenheit, and that July was the hottest month of any month on record in the US.
Yale Climate Connections tied the record to the National Centers for Environmental Information climate report, saying the 48-state average temperature of 75.58°F for August came in 0.54°F above the next-warmest August (1983).
El Niño strengthens
Multiple outlets linked the record heat to a strengthening El Niño in the tropical Pacific, with NOAA estimating a probability of more than 90% that it will develop into a very strong event during the northern hemisphere fall and winter.
Yale Climate Connections said the nation and world are in a dramatic transition year from a moderate La Niña event in 2025-26 to a likely record-beating El Niño event for 2026-27.
Al Jazeera quoted WMO chief Celeste Saulo saying, "If this trajectory continues, it may be stronger than anything since our monitoring began – so literally off the charts we have used for the past four decades,".
The same Al Jazeera report said the WMO expects the strengthening El Niño to persist into early 2027, while NOAA expects a warmer-than-usual September across much of the country.
Drought, wildfire, and water
Yale Climate Connections reported that as of September 1 the U.S. Drought Monitor showed 79% of the contiguous U.S. in abnormally dry conditions and 59% in some form of drought, with both indexes only a few percentage points short of their record-high values of 88% and 65%.
“As of its weekly report on September 1, the U.S. Drought Monitor showed 79% of the contiguous U.S.”
The same report said Lake Mead and Lake Powell had reached their lowest water levels since these reservoirs were built and filled in the late 20th century, with both sitting at just 26% and 21% of their respective capacities as of September 8.
Yale Climate Connections also described an unwelcome surge in wildfire, stating that through September 8 a total of 53,665 U.S. wildfires had burned through 8,397,760 acres in 2026.
Al Jazeera added that by September 1 about 59 percent of the contiguous U.S. was experiencing drought, and it warned that parts of the Northwest, Midwest and South face a higher-than-usual risk of significant wildfires.