According to data released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on Wednesday, the United States experienced its hottest meteorological summer on record. The agency reported an average temperature of 74.4 degrees Fahrenheit for the season, which is 3 degrees higher than the long-term average.

This record-breaking trend extended into the final month of the season, with August recording an average temperature of 75.6 degrees. NOAA’s analysis, which spans 132 years of climate data, indicates that these figures represent the highest temperatures documented since the agency began tracking such statistics. While the report establishes the statistical reality of the heat, it focuses primarily on the temperature metrics rather than the broader implications of these findings. The data confirms that the summer of 2026 has surpassed all previous years in the agency's historical database.