Alaska records warmest month ever in July with coastline barren of sea ice

Average temperature for month amid Arctic heatwave was 58.1F (14.5C), nearly 1F above previous high set in July 2004

A heatwave pulsating through the Arctic helped push Alaska to its warmest month ever recorded in July, with the state's vast coastline left completely barren of sea ice.

Alaska's average temperature in July was a record 58.1F (14.5C), nearly 1F above the previous monthly high set in July 2004, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Cities and towns across the vast US state, such as Anchorage, UtqiaAvik (formerly known as Barrow) and Kodiak all had their warmest month in 125 years of record-keeping.