The Summer Of 2021 Was The Hottest Summer On Record

NOAA found that the average temperature of meteorological summer - June, July, and August - was 2.6°F (1.45°C) above the 20th century average in the U.S. , a troubling sign as global temperatures continue to increase faster than previously thought.

More than 18% of the contiguous U.S. experienced record heat this summer, and several states, including California, Nevada, Utah, and Oregon had their hottest temperatures on record. No state reported temperatures that fell below average. The record heat coincided with extreme weather across the country, including extreme heat, wildfires, drought, and flooding.

Globally, all seven of the warmest years on record have been the last seven years, and 19 of the 20 warmest years have occurred since 2000.

(CNN, Gizmodo, LA Times $, The Hill, New York Times $, Washington Post $; Climate Signals background: Extreme heat and heatwaves, 2021 Western wildfire season, Drought, Extreme precipitation increase, 2021 Atlanttic hurricane season)