Record Summer Heat
NOAA confirms the contiguous United States experienced its hottest meteorological summer on record.
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Key Points
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The United States recorded or tied 1,541 monthly maximum-temperature records from June through August, compared with just 87 minimum-temperature records during the same period.
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Drought expanded sharply: it covered 59.1% of the contiguous United States on September 1, more than 10 percentage points higher than in early August.
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August precipitation was sharply uneven, with much-above-average rainfall in parts of the Midwest and Ohio Valley but much-below-average precipitation across large areas of the southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley.
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Hawaii experienced exceptionally wet conditions after Hurricane Lala brought heavy rain; the island chain recorded its second-wettest August, while January through August was its wettest such period on record, with precipitation more than three feet above the 1991–2020 average.
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The World Meteorological Organization said the established El Niño pattern was expected to strengthen into a very strong event, with effects on temperatures, rainfall and tropical cyclones potentially continuing into 2027.
The United States just finished its hottest meteorological summer on record, NOAA announced, with an average temperature of 74.4°F—roughly 3°F above normal. The record narrowly edges out the legendary heat of 1936 and 2021. August and July both shattered national heat records, while four western states hit their hottest summers ever.
A dangerous late-season heat dome now threatens over 80 million people across the South and Midwest, with heat-index readings expected to spike to 105°F to 111°F in parts of 12 states. The scorching summer reflects a broader global pattern: Copernicus Climate Change Service reported that August 2026 tied the hottest month ever recorded worldwide, driven by record ocean temperatures and a strengthening El Niño.
Record Heat Driven by Unusually Warm Nights
The 2026 summer record was shaped heavily by overnight lows, not just daytime blazes. The contiguous US recorded or tied 1,541 monthly maximum-temperature records from June through August—nearly 18 times more than the 87 minimum-temperature records set during the same window, NOAA data shows. Yet NOAA also reported record August daytime highs, so the heat was relentless around the clock.
Heat domes created the unusual overnight warmth, preventing normal cooling. Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah all recorded their hottest summers on file. The sustained heat triggered serious drought expansion: by September 1, drought covered 59.1% of the contiguous US—more than 10 percentage points higher than early August.
Southwest Drought Deepens as Colorado River Stress Mounts
The Southwest faced severe water stress as drought intensified. The heat domes that defined summer amplified evaporation and dried soil, worsening drought across the Colorado River Basin. Precipitation was sharply uneven in August: the Midwest and Ohio Valley got much-above-average rain, while the southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley received far less than normal.
Meanwhile, Hawaii got soaked. Hurricane Lala brought heavy rain to the islands, giving Hawaii its second-wettest August on record. The state's precipitation through August was more than three feet above the 1991–2020 average, marking its wettest such period on record.
Global August Joins Hottest Months Ever Recorded
August 2026 ranks among the hottest months in global weather history, Copernicus Climate Change Service confirmed. The month matched the absolute temperature record since at least 1940, fueled by record ocean temperatures and unusually low polar sea ice. The World Meteorological Organization warned that El Niño is expected to strengthen into a very strong event, with impacts on temperatures, rainfall and tropical storms potentially lasting into 2027.
Scientists attribute the extreme heat to human-caused climate change layered on top of the supersized El Niño pattern. The combination is shifting weather patterns globally and is expected to keep temperatures elevated well into the fall.
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