Overview
- NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information confirmed Monday that global surface temperatures in July 2026 tied July 2024 as the warmest July on record and that global ocean temperatures reached their highest July level ever.
- The contiguous United States recorded its hottest month in the 132-year record with a July average of 76.9°F, a mark pushed higher chiefly by unprecedented overnight lows that averaged 64.2°F.
- NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center and European forecasts show El Niño present and likely to strengthen into autumn and winter, which increases the probability that 2026 will rank among the warmest years on record.
- Last month’s heat coincided with clear harms: large wildfires, widespread drought, flash floods, degraded air quality and dozens of heat-related deaths and illnesses across the U.S. and Europe.
- Experts warn that agency staffing and funding shortfalls have trimmed observational and forecasting capacity, a strain on preparedness as hotter nights, warmer oceans and more extreme weather increase demand for emergency response.