Climate change made Houston's summer hotter

Texas' record-breaking heat this summer would have been "virtually impossible without human-caused climate change," per recent climate analyses.

Driving the news: The Houston area experienced 63 days — 69% of the summer — with hot temperatures made three times more likely by climate change, according to a new Climate Central report.

• Since June, Houston has had 45 days with 100° weather, making this summer Houston's hottest and besting 2011's record, per Space City Weather's Matt Lanza.

Zoom out: Houston was one of 17 Texas cities that experienced hot temperatures made at least twice as likely by climate change.

How it works: Climate Central's analysis is based on the group's Climate Shift Index (CSI), which compares observed or forecast temperatures with simulations of the same weather conditions minus excess atmospheric greenhouse gasses.

• A CSI of 3, for example, means human-caused climate change made a daily average temperature three times more likely.

Of note: While the analysis itself wasn't peer reviewed, the methodology has been.

The big picture: In 45 of the 244 U.S. cities the group analyzed, at least half of all summer days had temperatures made at least twice as likely by climate change.

• Victoria, southeast of San Antonio, had the second-most hot summer days driven by climate change, with 80 days made twice as likely by climate change.

• San Juan, Puerto Rico, had the most with 90.

Meanwhile: As Axios' Andrew Freedman has reported, Earth just experienced what was likely its hottest summer on record.

The bottom line: Rapid-attribution analyses like this one drive home a key point: Climate change is having a significant present-day impact on millions across the country and the planet.