Overview
- Copernicus' ERA5 analysis shows August 2026 had a global mean surface‑air temperature of 16.96°C, about 1.65°C above 1850–1900 levels, making it the hottest month recorded and the first month over 1.5°C since November 2025.
- The same Copernicus data recorded the highest extra‑polar monthly sea surface temperature, about 21.07°C, tying the March 2024 record and contributing to a June–August season tied with 2024 as the warmest on record.
- Western Europe experienced its hottest summer on record with a regional anomaly of +2.54°C, widespread drought and repeated heatwaves, and provisional EuroMOMO and national health data report more than 30,000 excess deaths linked to the heat period.
- Copernicus and independent scientists attribute the 2026 extremes to ongoing fossil‑fuel driven warming amplified by an intense El Niño that raised Pacific sea surface temperatures, and they caution that similar monthly records are likely to be broken without fast emissions reductions.
- The spike underscores growing impacts on people, economies and ecosystems, increases pressure for faster clean‑energy transitions, and keeps meteorological and health agencies on alert as they monitor ongoing risks and issue advisories.