August 2026 ties hottest month record
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The gist
August 2026 tied July 2023 as the hottest month ever recorded, EU's Copernicus said.
The 1.65C reading above preindustrial levels shows the 1.5C Paris limit being crossed.
Background
The European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service reported that August 2026 tied July 2023 as the hottest month ever measured worldwide, with a global average surface air temperature of 16.96C, or 1.65C above estimated preindustrial levels. Scientists attributed the heat to human-caused climate change combined with a strengthening El Nino, which pushed record-warm water to the surface of the tropical Pacific. The month exceeded the 1.5C level that governments agreed to pursue under the 2015 Paris Agreement, though that long-term threshold would require such temperatures to persist over years before being considered breached.
How it unfolded
- Aug 2, 2026South Korea recorded its highest temperature reading in modern history: 108.5 degrees Fahrenheit in the southern city of Yangsan.
- Aug 5, 2026Temperatures in Krakow, Poland reached 38 degrees Celsius as a heat wave moved to the nation's southern region.
- Aug 2026Dangerous heat hammered Europe for the fifth time since May, and temperatures soared into the triple digits across the southern United States from California to Texas.
- Sep 9, 2026European scientists said last month tied July 2023 as the planet's hottest month on record.
- Sep 10, 2026The EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service said August 2026 tied July 2023 as the hottest month ever recorded worldwide, with global average surface air temperature 1.65C above preindustrial levels.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- The UN climate chief said extreme heat is 'killing millions and costing trillions.'
- Analysts
- Climate scientist Hausfather said it is increasingly likely 2026 ends up beating 2024 as the warmest year on record, and almost certain that 2027 beats both, potentially reaching as high as 1.8C above preindustrial levels on the back of an unprecedentedly-strong El Nino event.
- Expert
- Scientist Burgess said some days may hit an even higher climate threshold, 2 degrees Celsius above mid-1800s.
Still unverified
The UN admitted last week that consistently surpassing the 1.5C threshold is now 'unavoidable,' according to Scientific American; this is a single-source claim not confirmed elsewhere in the material.