Earth Records Hottest August Ever Recorded

Earth experienced its hottest August on record in 2026, according to monthly climate reports from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA. The Northern Hemisphere also recorded its warmest summer for the June-August period, while the Southern Hemisphere experienced a winter that ranked among its warmest on record.

Global sea surface temperatures reached a record high in August, with the developing El Niño playing a major role in the exceptional warmth. The central and eastern tropical Pacific experienced particularly high temperatures, while both the Arctic and Antarctic recorded below-average sea ice extent during the month, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

The WMO said El Niño was one of the key climate drivers during August. The phenomenon is now firmly established and is expected to strengthen significantly in the coming months, potentially influencing rainfall and temperature patterns into 2027. Its effects were also reflected in global tropical cyclone activity, heavy rainfall, flooding and drought conditions in different parts of the world.

Record Global Temperatures

Data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service showed that August 2026 was tied with July 2023 as the warmest month ever recorded. The global average surface air temperature was approximately 1.65°C above the estimated pre-industrial level.

NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information reported that August 2026 was 2.38°F, or 1.32°C, above the 20th-century average. According to NOAA, it was the warmest August in its temperature record dating back to 1850. All ten of the warmest Augusts recorded by NOAA have occurred since 2016.

Record or near-record temperatures were observed across large parts of Greenland, Africa, Europe, Asia, North and South America, as well as sections of the Atlantic, Indian and Southern oceans. Extensive areas of the central and eastern Pacific also experienced unusually high temperatures.

Sea surface temperatures were particularly notable. The highest daily global sea surface temperature ever recorded over the extra-polar oceans reached 21.11°C in August. Temperatures remained exceptionally high across much of the tropical Pacific, where El Niño conditions are developing.

Around Europe, sea surface temperatures reached record August levels along the Atlantic coast and in the western Mediterranean. These conditions were associated with widespread strong or severe marine heatwaves.

Tropical Cyclones and Extreme Weather

Global tropical cyclone activity was above average during August, with 19 tropical storms recorded worldwide. Five reached hurricane or typhoon strength, while four became major tropical cyclones at Category 3 or higher intensity.

Cyclone activity differed considerably between ocean basins. The Atlantic experienced an unusually quiet month, with only two weak and short-lived tropical storms. Meanwhile, warmer waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific contributed to the formation of eight named storms in the Eastern North Pacific.

Typhoon Dolphin was the strongest tropical cyclone of the season to make landfall in China.

Europe continued to experience extreme heat during August, extending a period of unusually high temperatures that began in May. Western Europe and large parts of central and eastern Europe also faced widespread dry conditions.

In several areas, the dryness had continued since May and contributed to severe drought conditions in countries including France, the United Kingdom, Hungary, Romania and Serbia. Major rivers across affected parts of Europe also recorded exceptionally low flows, including the Rhine, Danube, Southern Bug and Dnieper.

The WMO said it uses climate datasets from organizations including Copernicus, NOAA and NASA for its assessments of the global climate. The organization is expected to present an update on 2026's climate conditions at the UN climate conference COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, in November.