Copernicus published its monthly bulletin confirming August 2026 tied July 2023 globally
Copernicus confirms record August heat at 16.96C
European Union monitors confirm August tied July 2023 as the hottest month on Earth as Pacific warming builds.
In a nutshell
The European Union climate monitoring agency confirmed that August 2026 tied July 2023 as Earth's warmest month on record, reaching a global average temperature of 16.96°C. The measurement drove world temperatures 1.65°C past pre-industrial levels, the first breach of the 1.5°C threshold since November 2025, as human emissions combined with early Pacific El Niño warming.
Highlights
- August 2026 tied July 2023 as the warmest month ever observed on Earth.
- Global average surface air temperature reached 16.96°C, or 1.65°C above pre-industrial levels.
- August exceeded July within the same calendar year, an event seen only four other times since 1940.
- The reading marks the first monthly breach of the 1.5°C warming ceiling since November 2025.
- Western Europe recorded its hottest summer in history alongside near-record warmth across global oceans.
From the Editor’s Diary
Extreme climate peaks occur when systemic background warming aligns with natural cyclical forces. Whether 2026 sets an annual record depends on how much heat the Pacific unleashes in the months ahead.
Who's involved
Copernicus Climate Change Service
Earth observation agency of the European Union
goal → Tracks atmospheric temperatures worldwide and publishes baseline climate measurements
Samantha Burgess
Deputy director at the Copernicus Climate Change Service
goal → Explains observational findings and the direct risks of rising heat
United Nations
Global body overseeing the Paris Climate Agreement
goal → Enforces international goals to restrict long-term planetary warming within 1.5°C
In short
TL;DR: Earth matched its hottest month ever in August 2026 at 16.96°C. The reading returned global temperatures above the 1.5°C warming ceiling for the first time since November 2025.
Q: What pushed global temperatures back past dangerous thresholds in August 2026?
- Global average surface air temperature hit 16.96°C, tying July 2023 for the highest on record.
How it unfolded
European monitor confirms joint warmest month in history
The Copernicus Climate Change Service released its global monthly bulletin on 10 September 2026, confirming that August 2026 matched July 2023 as the hottest month on record. The confirmation prompted international news organizations, including Reuters, to move immediate alerts across news services and networks.
Confirmation of 1.5C breach and emerging Pacific driver
The bulletin established that the global average surface temperature reached 16.96°C, running 1.65°C higher than pre-industrial levels and surpassing previous August milestones set in 2023 and 2024. News agencies cited Copernicus scientists attributing the acceleration to carbon emissions working in tandem with early El Niño conditions in the Pacific Ocean.
Where things stand
The atmospheric figures are settled: August 2026 ranks as the hottest August on record and shares first place with July 2023 across all months in the ERA5 historical dataset.
The open question is whether building El Niño conditions across the equatorial Pacific Ocean will generate enough heat to carry late 2026 past 2024 as the warmest year ever observed.