The world recorded its hottest August ever, with global temperatures remaining well above the pre-industrial average, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).
The European climate agency said the global average surface air temperature in August 2026 was 16.96 degrees Celsius, making it the warmest August recorded in the ERA5 dataset. The findings were reported by The Indian Express.
August breaks global temperature record
According to C3S, August was 0.85 degree Celsius warmer than the 1991–2020 average and 1.65 degrees Celsius above estimated pre-industrial levels.
The Indian Express reported that the latest figure surpassed the previous joint August record set in 2023 and 2024. August 2026 also matched the warmest July recorded in July 2023.
The June-August period was the joint-warmest summer globally, matching the record set in 2024, C3S said.
“The global-average surface air temperature in August 2026 was 16.96 degrees Celsius, which was 0.85 degree Celsius above the 1991–2020 global average. As such, it was the warmest August globally in the ERA5 dataset (a global dataset), surpassing the previous joint record set in 2023 and 2024,” the report said.
Global heat crosses Paris benchmark
The August average also crossed the 1.5 degree Celsius threshold associated with the Paris Agreement, marking the first such breach since November last year.
The Indian Express reported that unusually warm oceans also contributed to the month's extreme temperatures, with the ongoing El Niño event pushing sea surface temperatures higher. August recorded the joint-highest monthly average for sea surface temperatures across the extra-polar ocean.
Samantha Burgess, Strategic Lead for Climate at ECMWF, linked the record heat to wider climate extremes.
“Combined with record global sea surface temperatures and the warmest summer on record for Western Europe, these observations show how climate change is driving extremes across both the atmosphere and the oceans. The impacts of these conditions are increasingly being felt by communities, economies, and ecosystems across the world," said Burgess per The Indian Express report.
Europe sees record summer heat
France, Spain, the UK and Germany experienced exceptionally hot conditions, with several areas facing heatwaves that extended into August. Extreme heat had already affected parts of Europe from May.
According to The Indian Express, severe dryness was also reported in France, the UK, Hungary, Romania and Serbia. Several major rivers, including the Rhine and Danube, recorded exceptionally low water levels.
India also experienced an unusually warm August. The India Meteorological Department said the month was the warmest on record for minimum temperatures and the fourth warmest for maximum temperatures since 1901.