August 2026 was jointly the hottest August on record, according to Europe’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, with global average surface air temperatures reaching 16.96°C.
The temperature was approximately 1.65°C above the estimated pre-industrial level, matching the record set in July 2023.
It was the first month since November 2025 in which global average temperatures exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
Scientists stress that the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C target is assessed over longer periods rather than individual months, meaning one month above the threshold does not by itself mean the target has been permanently breached.
The latest figures nevertheless highlight the continuing intensity of global warming. The record heat coincided with extreme weather events in several regions, including floods and landslides in Nepal and Tibet, major wildfires in Europe and Asia and severe drought conditions in parts of Central Europe.
Western Europe also experienced its hottest summer on record, with persistent heat contributing to dry soils, low river levels and agricultural damage.
SOURCES:
Reuters — August was world’s joint-hottest month on record
