August was joint-hottest month ever recorded globally
Temperatures reached 1.65C above preindustrial levels, months before El Niño system reaches full strength
TL;DR
- August 2026 was the joint-hottest month ever recorded globally, matching July 2023 with temperatures 1.65C above preindustrial levels.
- Sea surface temperatures also reached their highest recorded levels for August.
- The ongoing El Niño weather system, expected to intensify, is being supercharged by the climate crisis, potentially making it the most intense on record.
- Scientists emphasize that the primary driver of these high temperatures is the burning of fossil fuels.
- The extreme heat has led to devastating wildfires, damaged harvests, excess deaths, and disruptions to transport, business, and public services.
- Food price inflation is expected to rise due to the impacts on harvests and imports.
- The economic and social damage from the summer's extreme heat is substantial, with costs in the trillions and millions of deaths attributed to extreme heat.
- Calls are being made for a faster shift to clean energy, protection of forests and oceans, and building climate resilience.
- While exceeding the 1.5C threshold, sustained highs over several years are needed to breach the Paris climate agreement limits.
- The Copernicus satellite data also indicates drier-than-usual conditions in various regions worldwide.
- Rising temperatures increase the risk of irreversible changes to natural systems and planetary tipping points.