WASHINGTON, July 9 (UPI) -- The United States experienced a record-warm first half of the year and the warmest 12-month period since record-keeping began in 1895, researchers say.
June temperatures contributed to those records, as the average temperature for the contiguous United States during the month was 71.2 degrees Fahrenheit, 2 degrees above the 20th century average, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration reported Monday.