The U.S. records its hottest month ever, NOAA says

The contiguous United States set a record for its hottest month ever in July, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Last month averaged 76.89 degrees Fahrenheit (24.94 degrees Celsius) across the Lower 48 states, eclipsing the Dust Bowl’s July 1936 by an eighth of a degree. Although it was unusually cool in Alaska, hotter than normal conditions blanketed the Lower 48, with the most excessive heat in the Mountain West, Southwest, Northern Plains and Southeast. The…