According to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service, August 2026 was the hottest month ever recorded globally, surpassing all previous observations. The agency's official report confirms this unprecedented milestone.

The global average air temperature for the month reached +16.96°C, exceeding the previous record of +16.95°C set in July 2023. It was also +1.65°C above the pre-industrial average (1850–1900), underscoring the accelerating pace of climate change.

Copernicus also reported that global sea surface temperatures hit a record +21.11°C in August, a level previously observed only in March 2024. Analysts attribute this to "global warming linked to fossil fuel combustion" as well as an "especially strong" El Niño phenomenon, which occurs every few years in the Pacific Ocean and causes temperature spikes and droughts.

"August 2026 was a month of particular significance in the history of global climate observations. It was recorded as both the hottest August and the hottest month ever observed… The record sea surface temperatures outside the polar regions, combined with the hottest summer in Western Europe, demonstrate the extreme events that climate change is triggering in both the atmosphere and the ocean," emphasized Samantha Burgess, Copernicus's strategic lead for climate.

A few days earlier, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported that global food prices in August reached their highest level since 2022, a trend also linked to extreme heat and drought in many regions. Previously, the Copernicus climate service announced that June 2026 was the hottest June on record in Western Europe.

Source: www.gazeta.uz