As autumn nears, the contiguous U.S. recorded its hottest summer on record, topping the previous high set in 1936 by less than a hundredth of a degree, tallies the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, notes Grumpy Editor.
NOAA’s climate report says between June and August, average temperature in the lower 48 states was 74 degrees Fahrenheit, adding 18.4 percent of the contiguous U.S. experienced extreme or record-breaking heat during the summer months.
California, Oregon, Utah, Idaho and Nevada are especially hard hit by heat.
At one point last month, more than 200 million Americans were under heat advisories.
The record temperatures come one year after research suggests heat waves that caused the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, resulting in record-setting heat in the summer of 1936, were 2.5 times more likely to occur due to climate change.
"It is likely that there will be more extreme heat wave conditions in the central U.S. in the future, given the rise in greenhouse gases levels, so communities and governments need to be prepared for this eventuality," study author Dr. Tim Cowan says.
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