A summer of extremes: Weathering a hotter world

July 2026 shattered temperature records across the continental United States, marking the hottest month ever recorded and contributing to a summer of escalating extreme weather. In Washington D.C., an Independence Day celebration on the National Mall was disrupted by an incoming storm, forcing an evacuation before the fireworks could proceed.

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Something's changing. And what we need to do is really ask the questions to figure out what to do about it.

Millions of Americans experienced severe weather, with Texas facing a second "once-in-a-thousand-year" flood within a year. Indiana, outside of traditional Tornado Alley, recorded an unprecedented 77 twisters. Meanwhile, July's record heat, coupled with drought and high winds, fueled a devastating brush fire in Spokane, Washington. The wildfire destroyed hundreds of homes, including that of resident Ted Chauvin.

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Summer of 2026 is another step in the escalation of our world into a sort of hotter, more dangerous planet that climate scientists have been telling us about for decades.

"Something's changing," Chauvin remarked, surveying the remains of his home, which held memories of his family's life and his battle with cancer. "And what we need to do is really ask the questions to figure out what to do about it." This year's wildfire season in Washington State has been the most destructive on record.

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Oh, they're absolutely all connected. We're creating a different world. And we need to think about that and adapt to that world.

Climate journalist Jeff Goodell, author of "The Heat Will Kill You First," described the current climate as an "escalation of our world into a sort of hotter, more dangerous planet." He emphasized that the extreme weather events are interconnected, signaling a fundamental change in the global environment. Goodell urged recognition of the problem and adaptation to this new reality, cautioning against normalizing these events as merely "abnormal years."

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We just tend to normalize them, and tend to think, 'Oh, it's just an abnormal year.' 'There's always been a heat wave.' 'It's always been hot in Texas.' You know, 'There's always been big hurricanes,' whatever.