Federal climate scientists confirmed Thursday that April 2026 was the hottest April ever recorded across 47 of the 50 states, extending an unprecedented streak of monthly heat records that stretches back nearly a year. Average temperatures were 4.2 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th-century baseline, with 14 states experiencing their single hottest day on record at least once during the month. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration attributed the anomaly to a combination of long-term climate change and a strengthening El Niño pattern. 'The trend is unmistakable and accelerating,' said NOAA chief scientist Dr. William Akers. 'These are not outliers anymore — they are the new normal.'