“The sweltering heatwave of the last few weeks helped make this year the hottest on record so far, officials revealed today. The last 12 months also have been the warmest in the continental United States since modern record-keeping began in 1895, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Every state except Washington had warmer-than-average temperatures for the June 2011-June 2012 period. The national average temperature over that period was 56 degrees, 3.2 degrees higher than usual… This past month was also the 10th driest June, with drought spreading to 56 per cent of the contiguous U.S. states, up from 37.4 per cent in May, making it the largest drought footprint of the 21st century.” w/ photos
