The Copernicus Climate Change Service, known as C3S, Europe's satellite-based climate monitoring body, has confirmed that August 2026 was the hottest month globally since detailed records began.
The service measured an average global surface temperature of 16.96 degrees Celsius, or about 62.53 degrees Fahrenheit, for the month, surpassing the previous high set in July 2023. C3S has tracked global temperatures using satellite data and ground observations for decades, and its monthly reports are widely used by governments and researchers as a benchmark for how the climate is changing over time.
Scientists at the service pointed to an unusually strong El Niño pattern, a periodic warming of parts of the Pacific Ocean that affects weather worldwide, as a contributing factor alongside the longer-term warming trend linked to greenhouse gas emissions. El Niño years have historically coincided with some of the warmest months and years on record, since the extra ocean heat adds to the background warming trend.
The record comes in a year that has already seen a series of extreme weather events reported around the world, including severe wildfires in parts of Southeast Asia and flooding in South Asia. Climate researchers have said that as global average temperatures rise, the frequency of individual record-breaking months tends to increase as well, even though any single month's ranking depends on short-term weather patterns layered on top of the long-term trend.
Copernicus and other monitoring bodies are expected to publish further data in the coming weeks on how 2026 is tracking compared with earlier record years, ahead of end of year climate assessments.
What is Copernicus C3S?
It is the European Union's climate monitoring service, which tracks global temperatures and other climate data using satellites and ground observations.
What is El Niño?
It is a natural, periodic warming of parts of the Pacific Ocean that influences weather patterns worldwide and tends to push global average temperatures higher when it is strong.