August 2026 was the hottest August ever recorded globally and tied July 2023 as the hottest month on record, according to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.
The global average surface air temperature reached 16.96°C, 1.65°C above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average. The difference from July 2023 was less than 0.01°C. Meanwhile, the average sea surface temperature outside the polar regions reached 21.07°C, the highest ever recorded for August.
However, exceeding the 1.5°C threshold for a single month does not mean that the Paris Agreement target has already been breached. The threshold refers to long-term warming, which is assessed over many years rather than on the basis of a single month or year.
This year’s El Niño, a natural phenomenon that warms the Pacific and intensifies extreme weather, could be the strongest on record.
The outlook remains concerning. The World Meteorological Organization estimates there is a 91% chance that at least one year between 2026 and 2030 will temporarily exceed 1.5°C, and a 75% chance that the average for the entire five-year period will exceed that level.
Meanwhile, El Niño is already under way in the tropical Pacific and has contributed to particularly high sea temperatures, although it has not yet reached its expected peak intensity. The phenomenon is forecast to strengthen further in the coming months and could become one of the strongest on record, increasing the risk of further temperature records.
Source: The Guardian
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