August 2026 has been identified as the world’s joint hottest month on record, with global temperatures rising 1.65 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, according to scientists from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. The month tied with July 2023 as the hottest calendar month ever recorded and marked the warmest August globally.
This period also marked a significant return to average global temperatures surpassing the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold above pre-industrial levels, a critical benchmark outlined in the 2015 Paris Agreement aimed at limiting the worst impacts of climate change. These temperatures had last been exceeded in November 2025.
Western Europe experienced its warmest summer to date, exceeding the previous record set in 2003. Heatwaves persisted through August, extending a pattern of extreme heat that began in May. The prolonged dry conditions have contributed to severe drought in several countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Hungary, Romania, and Serbia. Major European rivers such as the Rhine, Danube, and Dnieper recorded exceptionally low water flows, exacerbating the regional water stress.
The Copernicus scientists also reported record-high sea surface temperatures, particularly outside polar regions. The global average sea surface temperature for August reached 21.07 degrees Celsius, tying with March 2024 for the highest monthly value ever recorded. This rise is linked both to global warming driven by fossil fuel emissions and to the strong El Niño weather pattern influencing the Pacific Ocean.
Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, emphasized the significance of these observations. She noted that the combination of record temperatures in both the atmosphere and oceans illustrates how climate change is intensifying extreme weather conditions worldwide. Burgess highlighted the growing impacts these changes are having on communities, economies, and ecosystems globally.
Scientists warn that continued greenhouse gas emissions will likely drive further temperature increases unless emissions are significantly reduced to meet net zero targets. The current trends underscore the urgency of international climate commitments to prevent more severe droughts, heatwaves, flooding, sea level rise, and biodiversity loss.