The globe set a record for the warmest June since at least 1940, new and emerging climate data shows, obliterating the previous milestone from 2019. Separately, the globe set new single day records for the hottest day yet measured, on July 3 and 4.
Why it matters: The records are an indication of the influence that an El Niño event is having in the tropical Pacific Ocean, since it is amplifying the pace of human-caused climate change.
Extreme weather was threatening to upend July 4 holiday travel plans, with severe thunderstorms and heavy rains set to hit the Plains and Eastern states and searing heat affecting the U.S. Southeast, Southwest and Pacific Northwest.
The big picture: Tens of millions of people were under severe thunderstorm watches or affected by heat warnings and advisories Monday, as Grand Canyon National Park officials said a woman died while hiking in temperatures "well over 100°F" near Tuweep, Arizona. Excessive heat warnings were in place for the canyon and across the Southwest.
