August Sets Global Temperature Record

Why it matters locally: While global, the record-breaking August temperatures align with observations in North Carolina, where the agricultural sector and coastal communities are particularly vulnerable to sustained heat and climate shifts.

August recorded the highest global average temperatures ever measured, according to scientific assessments. This development follows a summer during which temperatures in the United States also surpassed historical records. Researchers documented August's global average temperature as the highest on record. Simultaneously, summer temperatures across the United States exceeded all prior measurements.