If July 4th felt like a scorcher, there’s a reason for that. It was the hottest day on record for the planet. Tuesday broke the record set just one day before, on Monday, with the average global temperature topping out at 62.92 degrees Fahrenheit on the holiday, according to data from the U.S. National Centers for Environmental Prediction. The U.S. faced excessive heat the past few days, especially throughout the interior Pacific Northwest and Southwest. Those areas will reach their peak temperatures today, according to the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center. The latest heat wave “that has extended ... (full story)