US records hottest month ever as July heat shatters 132-year-old record

The record came after weeks of intense heatwaves, prolonged periods of extreme temperatures and widespread wildfires.The United States has recorded its hottest month in more than a century of official temperature records. July’s average temperature was 76.89F (24.94C) across the Lower 48 states, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Lower 48 refers to all US states except Alaska and Hawaii.The average was 3.3F (1.8C) above the 20th-century average and narrowly surpassed the previous record set in July 1936, when severe drought and extreme heat devastated large parts of the country.The record came after weeks of intense heatwaves, prolonged periods of extreme temperatures and widespread wildfires. Scientists say the severity of the heat is consistent w