July 2026 averaged 76.89°F across the contiguous U.S., 0.12°F above July 1936, making it the hottest month in national records dating to 1895.
NOAA data also show record warmth over the past 6, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48 and 60 months, with every contiguous state warmer than average and 2026 year-to-date ranking second hottest.
Heat and dryness combined to make July 2026 the second-worst July for drought after 1934; 71% of the contiguous U.S. was in abnormal dryness or drought in early August.
Drought has already caused $2.5 billion in U.S. direct losses this year, while Puerto Rico imposed rotating 48-hour water shut-offs on 180,000 customers after San Juan's driest July on record.
Wildfire impacts are widening: more than 6.3 million acres have burned in 2026, 98 large uncontained fires are spreading smoke across the Northwest, and July produced 3,207 daily heat records versus 464 daily cold records.
How will communities survive when shattered heat records bring both devastating western droughts and unprecedented eastern floods simultaneously?
What happens to our bodies and food supply when the night no longer provides an escape from deadly heat?
With 1936 Dust Bowl records shattered and western reservoirs vanishing, are we facing an irreversible collapse of water systems?
July 2026 Heatwave: Second-Hottest Month on Record Drives Global Crisis in Climate, Water, Food, and Health
Overview
The historic heat of July 2026 was driven by human-caused climate change, which set the stage for record-breaking global temperatures. In the United States, contortions of the jet stream led to persistent heat domes, trapping hot air and causing unprecedented heat across vast regions. Meanwhile, Europe faced atmospheric blocking that trapped heat and dried soils, leading to devastating wildfires. The combination of dry soils, low snowpack, and relentless heat triggered severe water crises and massive wildfires, threatening both ecosystems and food security. This extreme heat also placed enormous stress on electrical grids and caused deadly public health impacts, with dozens of heat-related deaths reported during the crisis.