August 2026 has been officially declared the warmest month ever recorded globally, with average temperatures reaching 16.96°C (62.52°F). This surpasses the previous record set in July 2023, according to new data released by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).
The global average surface air temperature last month was 0.85°C (1.53°F) above the 1991-2020 average and 1.65°C (2.97°F) above the estimated pre-industrial 1850-1900 average. This marks the first month with global temperatures exceeding 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels since November 2025.
Samantha Burgess, Strategic Lead for Climate at the European Centre for Medium–Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), stated, "August 2026 was a remarkable month in the global climate record. It was both the warmest August and the warmest month ever recorded, with global temperatures reaching 1.65°C above pre–industrial levels, marking the return of global temperatures above 1.5°C."
She added, "Combined with record global sea surface temperatures and the warmest summer on record for Western Europe, these observations show how climate change is driving extremes across both the atmosphere and the oceans. The impacts of these conditions are increasingly being felt by communities, economies and ecosystems across the world."
Record Sea Surface Temperatures and Strengthening El Niño
Last month also saw record-breaking average sea surface temperatures (SSTs), reaching 21.07°C (69.92°F), surpassing the previous record of 20.98°C (69.76°F) set in 2023. This increase is a strong indicator of the strengthening El Niño phenomenon.
C3S warned that SSTs have remained exceptionally high across much of the tropical Pacific, where El Niño conditions are present and forecast to further strengthen in the coming months, potentially leading to one of the strongest El Niño events on record.
This follows warnings from scientists at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) that El Niño is being "supersized before our eyes." The climate pattern, characterized by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific, is now firmly established and is expected to cause significant global disruptions in rainfall and temperatures, including floods, droughts, and extreme heat.
Extreme Heat and Drought in Europe
In Europe, heatwaves persisted through August, continuing an extreme heat run that began in May. Large areas of central and eastern Europe experienced widespread dryness, with severe drought conditions reported in France, the United Kingdom, Hungary, Romania, and Serbia.
Global Implications and Calls for Action
Forecasts indicate a near 100% likelihood that El Niño will cause problems until February, marking an unprecedented level of certainty in such an update. In the UK, El Niño is predicted to lead to colder, wetter, and stormier autumn and early winter conditions.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres commented, "El Niño is being supersized before our eyes. The science leaves no room for doubt: the planet is in uncharted waters – and those waters are heating up. Sea surface temperatures are rising, temperatures keep climbing and the world is in the danger zone of extreme weather."
He urged, "The race now is between rising risks and our commitment to take climate action and protect people. We must win that race."
El Niño and La Niña are the warm and cool phases, respectively, of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a recurring climate phenomenon in the tropical Pacific. ENSO phases can shift every two to seven years, influencing global temperature, winds, and precipitation patterns. An El Niño phase is defined by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific, leading to reduced rainfall over Indonesia and increased rainfall over the tropical Pacific, while weakening or reversing equatorial winds.