Copernicus reports August 2026 matched global heat record at 16.96 degrees Celsius

Global air and sea surface records

August 2026 was the warmest August and tied for the warmest month ever recorded globally, according to data released by the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service in Bonn. Global average surface air temperatures reached 16.96 degrees Celsius, matching the record previously established in July 2023. The month stood 1.65 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial reference levels. Ocean waters outside polar regions also recorded their highest monthly average, reaching 21.07 degrees Celsius. This sea surface temperature surpassed the previous August high of 20.98 degrees Celsius set in 2023 and tied the all-time monthly ocean record set in March 2024.

Samantha Burgess, strategic climate lead at Copernicus, outlined the measurements recorded across the atmosphere and oceans.

August 2026 was a remarkable month in global climate history. It was both the warmest August and the warmest month ever recorded; global temperatures were 1.65 degrees above pre-industrial levels.

European heatwaves and oceanic warming

Across the three-month meteorological summer covering June, July, and August, global temperatures matched the record established during the summer of 2024. For the European continent as a whole, the summer ranked as the third warmest on record, trailing behind the summers of 2024 and 2022. Western Europe experienced its hottest summer since modern records began, surpassing the regional heat levels observed during the summer of 2003. An uninterrupted sequence of high temperatures began across several European regions in May and extended through multiple heatwaves in August. Surrounding waters reflected the atmospheric heat, with sea surface temperatures along the European Atlantic coastline and across the western Mediterranean Sea climbing to record levels.

Burgess noted that compounding atmospheric and oceanic conditions have produced widespread consequences.

The impacts of these conditions are increasingly noticeable for societies, economies, and ecosystems all over the world.

Drought conditions and precipitation divides

Widespread dryness affected large parts of Western Europe along with sectors of Central and Eastern Europe throughout August, contributing to numerous wildfires. Copernicus documented severe drought conditions across France, the United Kingdom, Hungary, Romania, and Serbia. Water levels on primary European waterways dropped exceptionally low, with low river stages observed on the Rhine and Danube.

In contrast, several southern and eastern zones registered higher precipitation than their long-term seasonal averages. The western Iberian Peninsula, southern Greece, southern Turkey, Cyprus, and northeastern Europe all received above-average rainfall across the summer months. During August specifically, heavier rainfall fell across the Alpine region and eastern Turkey, where localized storms produced flash flooding.

Underlying factors and data methods

Copernicus attributed the elevated temperatures to greenhouse gas accumulation from fossil fuel combustion combined with rapidly rising sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific linked to a strong El Niño phase. El Niño is a recurring natural climate pattern that appears every few years and increases the likelihood of extreme weather events across the globe.

The findings published by Copernicus rely on computer-generated analyses integrating billions of individual data points collected from satellites, ocean vessels, aircraft, and meteorological ground stations worldwide. The monitoring service maintains global surface air temperature datasets that extend continuously back to 1940.