Heat wave breaks records

The first seven months of 2012 were the hottest on record in the northeastern United States. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 2012 had an average temperature of 55.3°F, which eclipsed 1998, the previous record holder, by 1°F.

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An aerial view of New Yorkers cooling off at Jones Beach on August 4, 2012 in Wantagh, New York. The past year through June 2012 in the continental Unite States has been the hottest since modern record-keeping started in 1895, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA also reports the ten warmest years since 1895 have occurred since 2000. A weather expert at the agency suggested climate change has a role in the... more
An aerial view of New Yorkers cooling off at Jones Beach on August 4, 2012 in Wantagh, New York. The past year through June 2012 in the continental Unite States has been the hottest since modern record-keeping started in 1895, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA also reports the ten warmest years since 1895 have occurred since 2000. A weather expert at the agency suggested climate change has a role in the high temperatures. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) less