{
  "id": 6557184,
  "title": "Global heat stuck on high. Scientists say August was Earth's hottest month they've measured.",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/global-heat-stuck-on-high-scientists-say-august-was-earths-hottest-6557184",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-10T07:50:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-09-global-stuck-high-scientists-august.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.\n\nTexas 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.\n\nAugust'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.\n\nThe 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.",
  "summary": "Earth cooked to its hottest month on record in August, blowing far past a key climate threshold, due to the dangerous double whammy of human-caused climate change and a supersized El Niño, according to the European climate service Copernicus.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 7,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Qatar Tribune",
        "title": "August was world’s joint hottest month on record: Scientists",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/august-was-worlds-joint-hottest-month-on-record-scientists",
        "published": "2026-09-09T21:44:13.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Global heat stuck on high. Scientists say August was Earth’s hottest month they’ve measured.",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/global-heat-stuck-on-high-scientists-say-august-was-earths-hottest",
        "published": "2026-09-10T02:01:07.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Global heat stuck on high. Scientists say August was Earth's hottest month they've measured.",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/global-heat-stuck-on-high-scientists-say-august-was-earths-hottest-6524839",
        "published": "2026-09-10T02:42:03.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "NPR",
        "title": "Scientists say August was Earth's hottest month they've measured",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/scientists-say-august-was-earths-hottest-month-theyve-measured",
        "published": "2026-09-10T08:54:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Scientific American",
        "title": "August 2026 ties for hottest month ever recorded",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/august-2026-ties-for-hottest-month-ever-recorded",
        "published": "2026-09-10T09:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Times of India",
        "title": "Scientists warmed Minnesota trees by 3.4°C; they adapted to most of the heat",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/scientists-warmed-minnesota-trees-by-3-4-c-they-adapted-to-most-of",
        "published": "2026-09-10T15:32:41.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}