US experiences hottest summer on record as El Niño gains strength in tropical Pacific
The meteorological summer—defined as the period from June through August—reached an average temperature of 74.4 degrees Fahrenheit across the 48 contiguous states, surpassing the previous records set in 1936 and 2021 by 0.4 degrees, according to NOAA's climate report
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This year, the country experienced its warmest summer in the last 132 years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirmed this Wednesday.
The meteorological summer, defined as the period from June to August, reached an average temperature of 74.4 degrees Fahrenheit in the 48 contiguous states and exceeded the previous records set in 1936 and 2021 by 0.4 degrees, according to NOAA's climate report. Four of the warmest summers on record have occurred in the last five years: 2022 and 2024 rank fourth and fifth, respectively.
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August also breaks record for the hottest month
The summer record is accompanied by another milestone: August 2026 was the hottest month since records began in 1895, with an average temperature of 75.6 F in the contiguous United States. Daily high temperatures averaged 88.6 F, also a record high.
Most of the country experienced temperatures above or well above average in August, while near-normal conditions were observed only in parts of the Northern Plains and the Midwest, NOAA reported.
El Niño gains strength, and projections for 2027
The 2026 record coincides with a rapidly strengthening El Niño in the tropical Pacific, which forecasts indicate will be one of the most intense in recent decades.
NOAA estimates a probability of more than 90% that it will develop into a very strong event during the northern hemisphere fall and winter, and a 69% chance that it will reach historic intensity between October and December, exceeding any El Niño recorded since 1950 under its current measurement system.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) indicates a probability of nearly 100% that El Niño will persist at least until February 2027, with climate impacts extending throughout that year.
Models project that this pattern could contribute to 2027 becoming the hottest year on record globally, and it also increases the likelihood that 2026 will end up as the warmest year in the historical record, surpassing 2024.
Impacts and warning signs
- Public health and outdoor activities: Prolonged heat waves and warm nights have led to adjustments in sports training schedules and work activities in southern states, such as Florida, to avoid the hours of greatest heat risk.
- Wildfires and air quality: Extreme heat has coincided with episodes of smoke from wildfires in several regions, worsening living conditions during part of the summer, according to U.S. media reports.
- Previous monthly records: Even before this summer's data, July 2026 had already become the hottest month ever recorded in the U.S., with an average of 76.9 F, breaking the previous record set in July 1936.
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