July 2023 hottest month on record in U.S.

July was the hottest month ever recorded across the contiguous United States, federal scientists confirmed Monday. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said average temperatures last month topped every July since record-keeping began in 1895. The milestone caps a decade of relentless warming driven by human-caused climate change, intensifying heatwaves that have baked cities from Texas to California.

The new record reflects a broader pattern of extreme heat gripping the country. Since 2010, the U.S. has experienced its five hottest Julys on record, with last month surpassing the previous high set in 2021 by nearly half a degree Fahrenheit. Scientists point to greenhouse gas emissions trapping heat in the atmosphere, while natural climate cycles like El Niño have amplified the trend in recent years. More frequent and intense heatwaves have become the new normal, straining power grids, fueling wildfires, and threatening public health.

In some regions, the heat was off the charts. Texas and Oklahoma saw average July temperatures more than 5°F above the 20th-century mean, while parts of the Southwest neared all-time records. Phoenix hit 110°F or higher on 31 days in July, shattering the previous record of 26 days set in 2020. Emergency rooms reported a surge in heat-related illnesses, and drought conditions expanded across the West, worsening water shortages. Wildfires in Oregon and California forced thousands to evacuate, with smoke blanketing large areas and worsening air quality.

What happens next could get worse. With climate change accelerating, experts warn that future summers will likely bring even more extreme heat unless emissions are sharply reduced. Cities are scrambling to adapt by expanding cooling centers, upgrading infrastructure, and planting trees to create shade. But without deeper cuts in global carbon pollution, the record set this July may not stand for long. The heat is here to stay—and it’s only going to get hotter.