New Yorkers, though, weren’t alone in suffering through oppressive and dangerous heat. The average number of heat waves in 50 major American cities has tripled since the 1960s. And last week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared that last month was the hottest July on record for the planet.

August in New York has been warm, too — and a little dry. But thunderstorms predicted for this week, through Thursday, may change that.

Joe Pollina, a meteorologist with the Weather Service, said a cold front was moving through the area; thunderstorms can occur when cold and warm fronts collide. This happens with some regularity in late summer, he said.

Here’s a look back at the past two months:

August, in context

As of Sunday, the average temperature in New York this month was 76.5, according to the Weather Service data.

That number is only about a half-degree above normal, but so far the month has been the 56th-hottest August on record, according to Mark Wysocki, a state climatologist.