July 2026 Hottest on Record for US and Oceans

July 2026 was the hottest month on record for the contiguous United States and the world's oceans, according to data from NOAA and Copernicus. The US average temperature was 76.9°F (24.9°C), 3.3°F above the 20th-century average, surpassing records set during the Dust Bowl in 1936 and in 2012 Source: CNN. Globally, sea surface temperatures averaged 20.96°C, beating the previous July record of 20.89°C set in 2023 Source: Ground News.

Heat and impacts

The extreme heat was driven by a series of heat domes and exacerbated by human-caused climate change, which makes heat waves more intense and likely Source: Technology Review. Record-breaking nighttime lows were a major factor, and more than 600 monthly temperature records were set Source: CNN. Wildfires burned across the Pacific Northwest and Canada, with nearly 30,000 firefighters battling 98 large blazes Source: Gizmodo. A poll found that nearly half of Americans reported major impacts on their electricity bills Source: The Guardian.

El Niño and 2027 outlook

A rapidly intensifying El Niño is expected to further boost global temperatures, with some scientists predicting 2026 or 2027 could become the hottest year on record Source: Gizmodo. However, studies indicate that individual US heat waves were more connected to climate change and natural variability than to El Niño Source: CNN. The Guardian notes that President Trump has continued to promote fossil fuels despite the crisis Source: The Guardian.