July hottest month on record in U.S. CHICAGO (Mar

July hottest month on record in U.S.
CHICAGO (MarketWatch) — July was the hottest month on record for the contiguous U.S., the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Wednesday. The average temperature for the lower 48 last month was 77.6 degrees Fahrenheit, 3.3 degrees above the 20th century average and ahead of July 1936 when the average hit 77.4°F. “The warm July temperatures contributed to a record-warm first seven months of the year and the warmest 12-month period the nation has experienced since recordkeeping began in 1895,” NOAA said. Meanwhile the drought that has parched much of the nation expanded to cover 63% of the lower 48 while wildfires burned up about 2 million acres.