July was California’s hottest month in history

Some areas see days of temperatures over 100F, drying plants and fueling wildfires as extreme heat creates deadly conditions

California experienced its hottest month on record in July as grueling heat baked the American west for weeks on end.

The state's average temperature for the month was 81.7F (27.6C), according to the National Centers for Environmental Information, but some areas endured days of temperatures greater than 100F (about 38C). Several cities broke temperature records during a heatwave in early July - Palm Springs hit 124F on 5 July, while Redding in the state's far north saw a high of 119F on 6 July.