July was Earth’s hottest month on record, NOAA says

Can COVID-19 survive extreme temperatures?

Experts were hopeful the summer heat could dampen COVID-19. But record heat, along with a fast-spreading virus, continue to impact the United States.

LOS ANGELES - After a month of dangerous heat waves that impacted the globe, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Friday that July was officially the world’s hottest month ever recorded.

"In this case, first place is the worst place to be," said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad. "July is typically the world’s warmest month of the year, but July 2021 outdid itself as the hottest July and month ever recorded. This new record adds to the disturbing and disruptive path that climate change has set for the globe."

According to new global data, the combined land and ocean-surface temperature was 1.67 degrees F above the 20th-century average of 60.4 degrees F making it the hottest July since records began 142 years ago.

This is a developing story.