LOS ANGELES, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- July was the hottest month ever recorded across the contiguous United States, according to U.S. government data released Monday.

People walk with umbrellas on the beach during a heatwave in Carolina Beach, North Carolina, on July 3, 2026. (File photo: AFP)

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) noted that the average temperature across the lower 48 states hit 24.9 degrees Celsius. July 2026 narrowly surpassed the previous records set in July 1936 and July 2012, NOAA said.

Average daytime maximum temperatures reached 31.9 degrees Celsius in July, making it the sixth-warmest month on record during the day.

The largest anomaly was in overnight temperatures, according to NOAA. July 2026 also broke the record for the average daily minimum temperatures, at 17.9 degrees Celsius.

The National Weather Service, part of NOAA, said its experimental HeatRisk index considers daytime highs and overnight lows when assessing heat-related risk, including whether unusually warm nights may add to heat stress the following day.

Above-average temperatures covered large parts of the western and central United States, as well as parts of the southern coast and southeast, according to NOAA. Only Alaska, which is excluded from the contiguous U.S. average, recorded its coldest July since 2008.

Above-average temperatures are favored across the central and southern parts of the contiguous United States in August.