A summer of extremes: Weathering a hotter world
July was the hottest month ever in the Lower 48 States – another escalation of our world into a hotter, more dangerous planet, where extreme weather events – such as heat waves, wildfires and hurricanes – will become more common and more extreme.
This summer has been marked by extreme weather events across the United States, as America celebrated its 250th birthday. Heatwaves broke records with July being the hottest month ever recorded in the Lower 48 states. Texas experienced a once-in-a-thousand-year flood, while Indiana saw record-breaking 77 tornadoes. Outside of Tornado Alley, a record number of twisters occurred, and a brush fire in Spokane, Washington, allegedly started by an arsonist, forced residents to evacuate their homes.
Climate journalist Jeff Goodell noted that these events are connected and part of a larger trend of a changing climate. Goodell's books, "The Heat Will Kill You First" and "The Water Will Come," reflect the urgency of addressing this issue. According to data from EPA and NOAA, heat waves have become three times more frequent since the 1960s, and wildfires now burn twice as much land annually as they did in the 1990s.
The summer of 2026 is expected to continue the escalation of extreme weather conditions, demanding recognition of the problem and adaptation to the new climate reality.
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