NOAA confirms July 2012 hottest month ever; drought update
The month of July was the hottest ever across the lower 48 states. The average temperature nationwide for the month was 77.6 degrees, which was two-tenths of a degree warmer than the previous record set back in July 1936.
The findings were released in a report from the NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, on Wednesday.
Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska all had top-10 driest months. Kansas experienced its sixth warmest and 12th driest July on record.
NOAA also said that more than 2,000,000 acres were charred because of wildfires.
The latest drought monitor did not hold good news for Kansans. The area of the state impacted by "exceptional" drought jumped significantly from 17.45 percent to 38.58 percent. The monitor also indicates that 78.14 percent are being impacted by some kind of drought.
The next update on the drought will come out Thursday, Aug. 16.
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