Unfathomable heat helped June smash North America record

Researchers have confirmed what millions of Americans and Canadians who just endured scorching temperatures probably already suspected: Last month was the hottest June on record in North America.

The Copernicus Climate Change Service, an agency supported by the European Union, said that average surface temperatures for June in North America were about one-quarter of a degree Fahrenheit higher than the average for June 2012, the previous record-holder.

Additionally, last month's average temperature was more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit higher than the average from 1991-2020.

"These heat waves are not happening in a vacuum. They are happening in a global climate environment that is warming and which makes them more likely to occur," said C3S climate scientist Julien Nicolas.

The heat dome above southwestern Canada and the western United States generated headlines around the world last month as daily temperature records -- and even all-time record highs -- were shattered.

In Portland, the temperature shot up to 116 degrees Fahrenheit on June 28, smashing the previous all-time record high set on each of the previous two days and setting a new all-time high benchmark for the city. Prior to last month's heat wave, the highest temperature ever recorded in Portland was 107 in August 1981.

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Pedestrians take photos of and enjoy the snow covered trees in Central Park after a winter storm in New York City on January 7, 2022. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo