A run of new temperature records this month underscores how widespread this year's heat has been, touching countries and climate agencies that do not usually make headlines together.
The Copernicus Climate Change Service, the European Union's climate monitoring body, reported that August 2026 was the hottest month globally since measurements began, with an average temperature of 16.96 degrees Celsius, or 62.53 degrees Fahrenheit, exceeding the previous record set in July 2023. Copernicus tracks global temperature using satellite and surface data going back decades, and its monthly reports are a widely used reference point for climate scientists.
In the United States, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that the country experienced its hottest summer on record from June through August, with an average temperature of 23.6 degrees Celsius, or 74.5 degrees Fahrenheit, surpassing the heat of the 1930s Dust Bowl era, which had long stood as the benchmark for extreme US summer heat.
Tunisia's meteorological service separately reported that summer 2026 was the country's hottest since its records began in 1950, with average temperatures 2.9 degrees Celsius, or 5.2 degrees Fahrenheit, above the previous record. Officials there linked the repeated heat waves to water shortages and power cuts, as demand for electricity and water both rise during extended hot spells.
Taken together, these reports from three independent monitoring bodies, on three different continents, point to a summer that broke records in several parts of the world rather than in just one place, which is part of why climate scientists tend to look at global monthly averages alongside individual national records.
Climate agencies typically issue their next monthly and seasonal updates in the coming weeks, which will show whether the pattern continued into early autumn.
What is Copernicus?
It is the European Union's climate monitoring service, which tracks global temperatures using satellite and surface data and publishes monthly climate reports.
How does this summer compare with the Dust Bowl?
NOAA says the US summer of 2026 was hotter on average than the 1930s Dust Bowl period, which had previously been the hottest US summer on record.