US July 2026 hottest on record; Guardian seeks public impact reports

The Guardian is soliciting reader experiences of extreme heat and power outages during a record-breaking US summer, with July 2026 surpassing 1936 and 2012 highs. The item is a call for submissions, not a new data release, but confirms the scale of the heat event. It signals potential strain on utilities and public health, though specific impacts remain unquantified.