Hottest August ever: Planet shatters records as North America and Western Europe bake in warmest summer on record
The planet just sweated through its hottest August ever recorded — and the Northern Hemisphere just endured its hottest summer on record. The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said August 2026 set a new global heat record, as temperatures surged to 1.32° Celsius, or 2.38° Fahrenheit, above the 20th-century average. That is not just hot. It is historic.ncei. Earth’s heat alarm NOAA said the…
The planet recorded its hottest August in history, according to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). Temperatures soared to 1.32°C, or 2.38°F, above the 20th-century average, marking a significant milestone in global climate change. This new record trumps the previous joint records set in August 2023 and 2024 by a margin of 0.08°C.
What's more, the three-month period from June to August also set a new global record for warmth, becoming the hottest meteorological summer ever observed in the Northern Hemisphere. El Niño played a crucial role in driving the record-breaking temperatures, alongside its influence on global tropical cyclone activity and heavy rainfall in various regions.
Notably, North America and Western Europe experienced their warmest summers on record, while Africa saw its hottest August, and Asia recorded its second-warmest. Global ocean temperatures reached their highest ever level for the month, amplified by the ongoing El Niño conditions. The findings underscore a disturbing trend: the past decade has witnessed an alarming acceleration in record-breaking heat, with all 10 of the warmest Augusts occurring since 2016.
Written by urgent.news from Gulf News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
