ASSOCIATED PRESS • August 13, 2021
Earth sizzled in July and became the hottest month in 142 years of record-keeping, U.S. weather officials announced. As extreme heat waves struck parts of the United States and Europe. The last seven Julys, from 2015 to 2021, have been the hottest seven Julys on record. Last month was 1.67 degrees warmer than the 20th century average for the month. Earlier this week, a prestigious United Nations science panel warned of worsening climate change caused by the burning of coal, oil and natural gas and other human activity.