August 2026 was the warmest month worldwide since records began, the European climate service Copernicus revealed in a new report on Thursday.
The average global temperature last month was 16.96°C – 0.01 degrees higher than July 2023, the previous record. Copernicus itself considers the two months to be on equal footing, as the difference is minimal.
The global average also remained significantly above the pre-industrial level: according to the data, it was 1.65°C warmer than in the second half of the 19th century, which is the standard comparison used by the climate service.
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This exceeds the threshold set by the Paris Climate Agreement. Although one month above 1.5°C does not mean the limit has been definitively crossed, it indicates an upward trend.
"These data show how climate change leads to extremes, both in the atmosphere and in the oceans," emphasised Copernicus director Samantha Burgess in a statement. She highlights the significant impact on communities, ecosystems, and the economy as well.
Copernicus reminds us that global warming is primarily caused by fossil fuels. When oil, gas, or coal is burned, CO2 is released into the air, and this gas traps heat.
The El Niño phenomenon also plays a major role in the warming of seawater. Particularly in the tropical part of the Pacific Ocean, water temperatures are currently rising sharply.
The summer of 2026 has already entered the history books as the warmest ever in Belgium, according to the Royal Meteorological Institute (RMI). With an average temperature of 20.3°C, it far surpassed the previous record from 2018 (19.9°C).
