Summer 2026 Was the Hottest on Record in Western Europe
World
Summer 2026 was the hottest on record in Western Europe, surpassing the previous record set in 2003. At the same time, the global average temperature for June through August matched the record set in 2024.
According to Copernicus, the global average surface air temperature in August reached 16.96°C, 0.85°C above the 1991–2020 average. August was the hottest on record and tied July 2023 for the highest temperature recorded for any calendar month.
August was 1.65°C warmer than the estimated 1850–1900 pre-industrial level. It was the first month since November 2025 in which global temperatures again exceeded the 1.5°C threshold above the pre-industrial baseline. The global average temperature for June–August also matched the record set in 2024.
Western Europe recorded an average summer temperature of 21.69°C, 2.54°C above the 1991–2020 average. The region experienced a succession of prolonged heatwaves that began in May. Large parts of Western, Central and Eastern Europe also faced drought and exceptionally low river levels.
Oceans also reached record levels. The average sea surface temperature across extra-polar waters reached 21.07°C in August, the highest for the month and equal to the record set in March 2024. El Niño conditions in the Pacific continue to strengthen and could become one of the strongest events on record.
August was 1.65°C warmer than the estimated 1850–1900 pre-industrial level. It was the first month since November 2025 in which global temperatures again exceeded the 1.5°C threshold above the pre-industrial baseline. The global average temperature for June–August also matched the record set in 2024.
Western Europe recorded an average summer temperature of 21.69°C, 2.54°C above the 1991–2020 average. The region experienced a succession of prolonged heatwaves that began in May. Large parts of Western, Central and Eastern Europe also faced drought and exceptionally low river levels.
Oceans also reached record levels. The average sea surface temperature across extra-polar waters reached 21.07°C in August, the highest for the month and equal to the record set in March 2024. El Niño conditions in the Pacific continue to strengthen and could become one of the strongest events on record.
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