It’s Hot Weather, But Not Man-Made – Watts Up With That?

By Steve Goreham

This week the United States experienced the first major heat wave of 2025. Over 160 million people in the Midwest, the South, and the East Coast experienced temperatures approaching 100^oF. Many in the media claim that the soaring temperatures are due to human-caused global warming. But a look at history shows that such high temperatures have been experienced many times in the past.

Extreme heat warnings were issued in Baltimore, Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. The Washington Monument was closed due to the heat. Dozens of daily high temperature records were broken. Heat indexes, which combine temperatures and the effects of humidity, exceeded 100 in Chicago, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and other locations.

Many media outlets reported that humans are responsible for the current hot weather. CNN reported that “heat waves are getting more dangerous with climate change” and that the current heat wave “bears the hallmarks of human-caused global warming.” NPR concluded that “human-caused climate change has made this heat wave three times more likely” due to emissions from “burning of coal, oil and gas.” Time stated that heat waves now occur “three times as often” in the United States as they did in the 1960s. But historical records do not support the media alarm about heat waves.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) tracks state record high temperatures and the date when they occur. The data shows that 36 of the 50 state record highs were set more than five decades ago. Twenty-three state record high temperatures occurred in the decade of the 1930s, when annual human CO2 emissions were less than one-eighth of today’s emissions. Despite endless headlines about heat waves, only 6 state high temperature records have occurred since the year 2000.

New York City temperatures rose to 102^oF at the peak of the heat wave. But the record high temperature for New York State is 108^oF, set in 1926, 99 years ago, in Troy, New York. Memphis temperatures reached 95^oF. But the record high temperature for Tennessee is 113^oF, set in Perryville in 1930. Richmond, Virginia temperatures reached 99^oF, but lower than the state record high temperature of 110^oF, set in  Balcony Falls in 1954.

Temperature metrics from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), NOAA, and the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom (Met Office) show that average global surface temperatures have risen about 1.2^oC (2^oF) in the last 140 years. But is this rise caused by industrial emissions of greenhouse gases?

The Central England Temperature Data Set, provided by the Met Office Hadley Centre of the UK, is the world’s longest-running temperature metric. It shows that Central England temperatures have risen about 2^oC (3.6^oF) over the last 360 years, since 1660. Human carbon dioxide annual emissions were negligible until after World War II, but emissions have since increased by a factor of almost eight times. Yet the rate of change in the rise of Central England temperatures appears to be unchanged during the age of spiking global CO2 emissions. The evidence shows that temperatures are dominated by natural factors and that human emissions play only a small role in global warming.

Beware the high temperatures of heat waves this summer, drink plenty of fluids, and stay cool. Understand that temperatures in most locations have been warmer during past decades. Since nature drives Earth’s climate, our only sensible course of action is to adapt to climate change and rising temperatures.

Steve Goreham is a speaker on energy, the environment, and public policy and author of the bestselling book Green Breakdown: The Coming Renewable Energy Failure.

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