July 4 Was Earth’s Hottest Day on Record, Tops Mark Set One Day Earlier

If July 4th felt like a scorcher, there’s a reason for that. It was the hottest day on record for the planet.

Tuesday broke the record set just one day before, on Monday, with the average global temperature topping out at 62.92 degrees Fahrenheit on the holiday, according to data from the U.S. National Centers for Environmental Prediction.

The U.S. faced excessive heat the past few days, especially throughout the interior Pacific Northwest and Southwest. Those areas will reach their peak temperatures today, according to the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center.

The latest heat wave “that has extended into the interior portion of the Pacific Northwest should reach its peak intensity today as actual high temperatures are forecast to top the lower 100’s at the hottest locations,” the center wrote in a post on Wednesday. “The heat will then gradually become less intense each day.”

“Farther to the south, dry, hot and windy conditions will support a Critical Fire Weather risk over much of northern Arizona for the next couple of days while much of southern Arizona is under Excessive Heat Warning with afternoon readings forecast to reach into the 110s at the hottest locations,” the post continued.

The U.N. weather agency on Tuesday warned that the climate phenomenon El Niño has arrived and will pave the way for even hotter temperatures.

“The onset of El Niño will greatly increase the likelihood of breaking temperature records and triggering more extreme heat in many parts of the world and in the ocean,” said Petteri Taalas, secretary general of the World Meteorological Organization.

“Early warnings and anticipatory action of extreme weather events associated with this major climate phenomenon are vital to save lives and livelihoods,” he continued.