A third of Americans are already facing above-average warming

Temperatures in 499 counties across west, north-east and upper midwest US have already breached 1.5C (2.7F)

More than a third of the American population is currently experiencing rapid, above-average rates of temperature increase, with 499 counties already breaching 1.5C (2.7F) of heating, a Guardian review of climate data shows.

The US as a whole has heated up over the past century due to the release of planet-warming gases from burning fossil fuels, and swaths of the US west, north-east and upper midwest - representing more than 124.6 million people - have recorded soaring increases since federal government temperature records began in 1895.