United States records hottest summer in 132 years

The United States recorded its hottest summer in 132 years during 2026. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the average temperature between June and August reached 23.6°C, surpassing the previous records set in 1936 and 2021 by 0.2°C.

This extreme heat is attributed to human-induced climate change, specifically the burning of fossil fuels. Notably, four of the five hottest summers on record have occurred within the last five years. The 1936 record was previously the only one from the last century, occurring during the Dust Bowl era.

Climate projections indicate a high likelihood of a ‘Super El Niño’ event. NOAA has raised the probability to 97% that El Niño will evolve into a very strong phase starting in late September. There is a 93% chance that equatorial Pacific Ocean temperatures will remain very high through January. Furthermore, there is a 75% probability of a historic event between October and December 2026 that would exceed the intensity of any El Niño recorded since 1950.