July Was Hottest Month Ever in US, NOAA Says
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Jupiterimages/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — July was the hottest month ever since forecasters started keeping records in 1895, according to figures released Wednesday by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
NOAA reported that last month’s average of 77.6 degrees Fahrenheit was 3.3 degrees higher than the 20th-century average and beat the all-time record by two-tenths of a degree set in July 1936.
In fact, January through July 2012 were the warmest seven months of any year on record, as were the past 12 months, according to NOAA. With the exception of Washington, all of the Lower 48 experienced warmer-than-average temperatures from July 2011 through June 2012.
Unfortunately, these high temperatures have contributed to extremely dry conditions across the U.S. and droughts that will drive up food prices.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio