August 2026 has emerged as one of the most extraordinary months in the modern temperature record. According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, the month was the joint-warmest month ever recorded globally, tying July 2023. The global average surface air temperature reached 16.96°C, about 1.65°C above the estimated pre-industrial level (1850–1900). It was also the warmest August on record, surpassing the previous August records set in 2023 and 2024.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) independently reported August 2026 as the warmest August in its record, with global temperatures 1.32°C above the 20th-century average. Global ocean temperatures also reached a record high.
Scientists link the exceptional warmth to continuing long-term global warming and strengthening El Niño conditions, which contributed to unusually high temperatures, particularly across the tropical Pacific
