{
  "id": 498520,
  "title": "The U.S. records its hottest month ever, NOAA says",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/10/the-u-s-records-its-hottest-month-ever-noaa-says",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-10T19:03:14.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fast Company",
    "slug": "fast-company",
    "url": "https://www.fastcompany.com/91587960/hottest-month-july-climate-change"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The contiguous United States experienced its hottest month on record in July, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The average temperature across the Lower 48 states reached 76.89 degrees Fahrenheit (24.94 degrees Celsius), surpassing the previous record of July 1936 by a mere 0.08 degrees. While Alaska remained unusually cool, the majority of the country endured hotter-than-normal conditions, with the Mountain West, Southwest, Northern Plains, and Southeast experiencing the most extreme heat. The primary contributor to this unprecedented warmth was the unusually low nighttime temperatures, which shattered the old record for hottest minimums by 0.7 degrees, as reported by NOAA. The significance of these hotter nights lies in their role as a classic indicator of human-induced climate change, according to scientists.",
  "summary": "The contiguous United States set a record for its hottest month ever in July, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Last month averaged 76.89 degrees Fahrenheit (24.94 degrees Celsius) across the Lower 48 states, eclipsing the Dust Bowl’s July 1936 by an eighth of a degree. Although it was unusually cool in Alaska, hotter than normal conditions blanketed the Lower 48,…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}