NOAA reports US hottest summer on record, August sets heat mark

September 9, 2026 at 11:59 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

The contiguous United States recorded its hottest summer in 132 years of NOAA data, averaging 23.6°C from June through August. August also set a new monthly heat record at 24.2°C. The heat accompanied worsening drought across 59% of the country by September 1.

Key Facts

The average temperature across the contiguous US from June through August was 23.6°C, 1.7°C above the 20th-century average.
August 2026 was the hottest August on record, with an average temperature of 24.2°C.
By September 1, about 59% of the contiguous US was experiencing drought, up more than 10 percentage points in a month.
Texas and Oklahoma received less than 30% of their usual August rainfall.
Four of the five hottest US summers have occurred in the past five years, according to NOAA.

Record Heat

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported on Wednesday that the June–August average temperature across the contiguous US was 23.6°C. That is 1.7°C above the 20th-century average and 0.2°C hotter than the previous record set in 1936 and tied in 2021. August also set a new monthly record, with an average temperature of 24.2°C. Four of the five hottest US summers have occurred in the past five years, according to NOAA.

Drought Conditions

By September 1, about 59% of the contiguous US was experiencing drought, up more than 10 percentage points in a month. Conditions worsened across parts of the Great Plains, Midwest and South regions. Texas and Oklahoma received less than 30% of their usual August rainfall. Indiana and Ohio recorded their wettest August on record, receiving roughly twice their usual rainfall.

El Nino Outlook

The World Meteorological Organization says the strengthening El Nino could become one of the most intense on record and is expected to persist into early 2027. WMO chief Celeste Saulo told reporters last week that if the trajectory continues, it may be stronger than anything since monitoring began. NOAA expects a warmer-than-usual September across much of the country. Parts of the Northwest, Midwest and South face a higher-than-usual risk of significant wildfires.