It’s official, this past July was the hottest on record in the continental United States, blasting July heat records set during the Dust Bowl-era of 1936.
A report released this week by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration shows that July, 2012 was the hottest July ever recorded in the continental U.S. since the agency began keeping weather records in 1895.
In Connecticut, this July was the 9th hottest on record, with daily temperatures for the month averaging 3.2 degrees above normal, according to NOAA. The hottest July recorded in Connecticut was in 1913, when temperatures for that month averaged 5.4 degrees above normal.
You can find a state-by-state breakdown of heat wave records on NOAA’s website.
Not only was this July the hottest July on record in the continental U.S., it’s also the warmest month on record and, when combined with the first six months of 2012, makes 2012 the hottest year on record so far in the lower 48 states, according to NOAA.
The heat wave of 2012 has devastated some farm crops in the Midwest and experts predict the damage to corn, soy and other farm staples will bring higher food prices throughout the country this year.
