July 2015 hit the all-time highest monthly global temperature dating back to 1880, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a federal agency focused on the condition of the oceans and the atmosphere. NOAA reported the highest monthly July temperature at at 61.86°F (16.61°C), surpassing the previous monthly record set in 1998. In addition to setting a record for July, the first seven months of 2015 were the warmest ever, breaking the record set in 2010.
In its monthly global climate report released online, NOAA said many countries and the world’s oceans experienced heatwaves, with the Earth’s oceans temperature also hitting record highs last month. Select national information is highlighted below:
- Austria recorded its hottest July since national records began in 1767. Two major heatwaves, with temperatures reaching 38°C (100°F), contributed to this heat record;
- The heat waves extended to France, where the country had its third warmest July in its 116-year period of record;
- The Netherlands also experienced abnormally hot July temperatures at the beginning of the month;
- Record-breaking heat was observed in parts of the southern United Kingdom at the beginning of July, including the highest temperature recorded in the country since August 2003;
- Despite a heatwave over part of Sweden at the beginning of the month, temperatures remained cool for the reminder of July across much of the country;
- Norway experienced cooler-than-average temperatures for the third consecutive month;
- A high pressure dome over the Middle East brought what may be one of the most extreme heat indices ever recorded in the world on July 31.