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5 Big Questions About Wild Weather

From deadly heat waves to disastrous floods, the weather has been extreme in the United States this summer. Here’s what you need to know.

1. Just how hot was it this summer? 

Scorching temperatures shattered records in dozens of cities across the United States. As the nation celebrated the Fourth of July, millions of Americans tried to keep cool in temperatures that soared above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Even places that usually have mild summers suffered through record heat waves. Some cities in Montana, for example, saw temperatures climb above 110 degrees for the first time.

Experts estimate that by early August, at least 70 people in the U.S. had died because of the extreme heat.

Erin Clark/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

A firefighter cools off during a heat wave in Massachusetts on July 2. 

2. What other extreme weather events made headlines this summer? 

High temperatures combined with droughts helped spark destructive wildfires in several Western states. Uncontrolled blazes near Spokane, Washington, forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate, or flee, their homes. And by August, wildfires had already scorched more land in Oregon than in any full year before. Smoke from wildfires in Canada polluted the air breathed by tens of millions of Americans—many in cities hundreds of miles away.

Meanwhile, some states saw record-shattering rainfall and dangerous flooding. On July 10, severe thunderstorms dumped a foot of rain in parts of Missouri. Rivers quickly overflowed, and more than 350 people needed to be rescued.

Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images

A woman in New York City wears a face mask as protection from the smoke from Canadian wildfires. 

3. What’s behind all this extreme weather?

Most climate scientists agree that it’s tied to climate change—the gradual change in Earth’s average temperature and weather patterns. 

Climate change has happened naturally throughout Earth’s history. But most scientists say humans are playing a big part in this current warming trend. For example, we burn fossil fuels to create electricity and heat for our homes and to power our cars. This releases greenhouse gases, which trap heat in Earth’s atmosphere.

Without greenhouse gases, Earth would be too cold for us to survive. The problem is that we’re producing too much of them, raising the planet’s average temperature. In fact, 2024 was the hottest year ever recorded—and 2023 and 2025 were the second and third.

Let's Talk About Climate Change
Watch a video to learn more about why the Earth’s temperature is rising.

4. How can rising temperatures cause both droughts and floods?

A changing climate doesn’t affect every place in the same way. As temperatures rise, more moisture evaporates from the land in some areas. That dries out the soil and plant life, increasing the chances of drought. 

But a warmer atmosphere can also hold more moisture. Climate scientist Kim Cobb compares it to a sponge that can absorb more water. 

“When that sponge gets squeezed by a storm,” she explains, “it releases much more water than it did in a cooler climate.” 

In some places, that heavier rainfall can cause rivers and drainage systems to overflow, leading to floods.

Zach D Roberts/NurPhoto via AP Images

Cars get stuck on a flooded street in Norfolk, Virginia, after heavy rainfall in August.

5. So is climate change the only reason for this summer’s wild weather?

Many scientists think El Niño is also a factor. This temporary warming of the eastern Pacific Ocean occurs every few years—including this year. Many climate scientists say El Niño is giving an extra boost of warmth to a world that is already getting hotter. 

Cobb says we can expect summertime temperatures to keep climbing higher in the years ahead. But we also have the power to do something about it. 

“If we reduce the burning of fossil fuels enough,” she says, “we can actually begin to reverse some of the impacts of climate change.”

1. How does the author support the idea that there was “wild weather” this summer?

2. What led to uncontrolled wildfires in several Western states this summer?

3. What are greenhouse gases? Why are they mentioned in the article?

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