August 2026 temperature records show the month was the warmest August ever measured and joint-hottest month globally, with temperatures reaching 1.65°C above pre-industrial levels.
BRUSSELS: August 2026 temperature records have delivered another striking climate milestone, with the month becoming the warmest August ever recorded globally and tying July 2023 as the hottest month across the entire observational record.
According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, the global average surface air temperature reached 16.96°C in August. That was 1.65°C above the estimated 1850-1900 pre-industrial average and 0.85°C above the 1991-2020 average for August.
Global temperatures cross 1.5°C again
August was the first month since November 2025 in which global temperatures rose more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
That does not mean the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C goal has formally been breached because the international target refers to warming measured over a much longer period rather than a single month.
The world’s current long-term warming level is around 1.4°C above pre-industrial temperatures.
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Oceans also reach extraordinary temperatures
The heat was not restricted to land.
Sea surface temperatures outside the polar regions reached their joint-highest monthly level on record, matching the previous peak recorded in March 2024.
Copernicus has linked the exceptional ocean warmth to long-term global heating and rapidly increasing temperatures in the equatorial Pacific associated with developing El Niño conditions.
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Western Europe records its hottest summer
The August 2026 temperature records capped an exceptional Northern Hemisphere summer.
June to August 2026 was the joint-warmest such period globally, matching 2024. Western Europe experienced its warmest summer on record, while Europe as a whole recorded its third-warmest summer.
Extreme conditions were accompanied by wildfires, drought and unusually low river flows in parts of Europe, while severe floods and landslides affected other regions.
El Niño could add further heat
Scientists are also closely watching the developing El Niño in the tropical Pacific.
The weather pattern involves unusually warm Pacific waters and can temporarily push global temperatures higher. Copernicus said record-high tropical Pacific temperatures were associated with El Niño formation, which is forecast to strengthen over the coming months.
However, scientists stress that the underlying long-term warming trend is primarily being driven by greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels.
Impact to expect
The August 2026 temperature records could increase pressure on governments and businesses to strengthen heat resilience and emissions reductions as hotter oceans and rising global temperatures increase risks to agriculture, water supplies, infrastructure and public health.
