August 2026 tied the record for the hottest month ever measured on the planet, according to data released this Thursday (10) by the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. The global average surface air temperature reached 16.96 °C, standing 1.65 °C above the estimated average for the pre-industrial period.
The figure was technically tied with July 2023. The difference between the measurements is within the margin of uncertainty of the records, which is why scientists treat the two months as the same historical peak.
Heat exceeded 1.5 °C again in a month
It was the first time since November 2025 that the global monthly average once again exceeded 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels. This result does not mean, on its own, that the Paris Agreement’s most ambitious target has been formally breached: the international commitment considers an average sustained over decades, not a single month.
The mark, however, reinforces the planet’s proximity to this limit. The current estimate of long-term warming is around 1.4 °C, while emissions from burning coal, oil, and gas remain the main cause of rising temperatures.
Oceans also recorded exceptional heat
The heat was not restricted to the continents. The sea surface temperature outside polar regions also reached one of the highest levels ever observed for any month. In the tropical Pacific, the development of El Niño contributed to amplifying the warming and could push temperatures even higher in the coming months.
The report comes after an August marked by wildfires, droughts, floods, and landslides across different regions. Western Europe ended the hottest summer in its historical series, with low river levels, loss of soil moisture, and additional pressure on agriculture.
Impacts are already affecting services and economies
Copernicus experts highlighted that warming is no longer a distant projection and is already interfering in the daily routine of cities and productive sectors. Heatwaves put pressure on hospitals, damage roads and railways, reduce crop yields, and drive up energy demand.
Copernicus records begin in 1940 and are compared with other global datasets dating back to 1850. The convergence of these datasets makes it possible to assess the scale of current warming and track the evolution of climate extremes.
For scientists, the streak of records increases the urgency of rapidly reducing emissions and adapting infrastructure, healthcare systems, and food production to a warmer climate.
