Washington ? The five named tropical storms recorded in July were the most on record for that month, and worldwide it was the second warmest July on record, the National Climatic Data Center reported.

In the United States, it was the 12th warmest July on record, with the national average temperature 1.5 degree Fahrenheit above normal for the month.

Worldwide, the average temperature for July was 1.08 degrees above normal in records dating back to 1880, the second warmest July on record. The warmest was in 1998 with readings 1.17 above average for the month.