Key Details on US Summer Breaks 132-Year Heat Record

• Average summer temperature is 23.6°C (74.4°F).
• Higher than the 20th-century average: 1.7°C (3°F).
• The previous record was 23.4°C, which occurred in 1936 and 2021.
• The average temperature in August was 24.2°C (75.6°F), which is the highest August temperature ever recorded.
• US under drought by September 1: About 59%.
• Texas and Oklahoma: Less than 30% of normal August rainfall.

US summer breaks 132-year heat record as extreme heat and drought affected large parts of the country, according to NOAA’s latest climate assessment. The June-August average across the contiguous United States was 0.2°C (0.4°F) above the previous summer record, making it the hottest summer in NOAA’s 132-year record.

The heat arrived alongside worsening drought across the Great Plains, Midwest and South, while some areas experienced exceptionally heavy rainfall.

Hottest Summer in NOAA’s Record

• NOAA said the summer average of 23.6°C was 1.7°C above the 20th-century average.
• August also broke its own temperature record, reaching an average of 24.2°C.
• The US summer breaks a 132-year heat record, with August adding another milestone: average daytime maximum temperatures reached 88.6°F, the highest recorded for the contiguous US.

The frequency of extreme heat has increased sharply.

• Four of the five hottest US summers have occurred within the past five years, reflecting the broader warming trend associated largely with fossil fuel emissions.

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Drought Expands Across the US

Dry conditions intensified as temperatures remained unusually high. By September 1, around 59% of the contiguous US was experiencing drought, more than 10 percentage points higher than a month earlier.

The Great Plains, Midwest and South saw worsening conditions, with Texas and Oklahoma receiving less than 30% of their usual August rainfall. The combination of heat and dryness is increasing pressure on water supplies, agriculture and wildfire conditions.

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Rainfall Was Extreme in Some States

The national drought picture did not mean every region was dry. Indiana and Ohio recorded their wettest August on record, receiving roughly twice their normal rainfall.

These sharp regional contrasts show how a warmer climate can produce very different weather outcomes at the same time, with severe dryness in some areas and intense rainfall in others.

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El Niño Could Keep Extreme Weather Going

The WMO expects the strengthening El Niño pattern to persist into early 2027 and has warned that it could become one of the strongest events observed since modern monitoring began.

El Niño is a natural climate pattern, but it can amplify global temperatures on top of long-term human-caused warming. NOAA expects much of the US to experience warmer-than-normal conditions in September, with drought potentially persisting or worsening in several regions.

Parts of the Northwest, Midwest and South are also facing an elevated risk of significant wildfires, adding another concern after the country’s record-breaking summer.

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