Global heat stuck on high. Scientists say August was Earth's hottest month they've measured.

In August 2026, Earth experienced its hottest month on record, according to scientists at the European climate service Copernicus. The average temperature for the month was 62.53 degrees Fahrenheit (16.96 degrees Celsius), which was only a hundredth of a degree Celsius higher than the previous hottest month set in July 2023. However, due to the uncertainty level, this was considered a tie.

Texas A&M University climate scientist Andrew Dessler stated that this ongoing trend is exactly as forecast by scientists decades ago. He emphasized that the real question is whether society will take action to address this issue or continue to stand by while the climate crisis worsens.

August's temperature was 1.65 degrees Celsius (nearly 3 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels, surpassing the 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) threshold set by the 2015 Paris climate agreement. Experts noted that this is far beyond what scientists would have expected just a decade ago.

The eight hottest months on record have all occurred from July 2023 onwards. The recent extreme heat waves have disrupted daily life, causing schools to close, hospitals to become overwhelmed, and infrastructure to become damaged. Scientists are concerned that these conditions will become more frequent in the future.