Srinagar, Sep 10 : August 2026 was the hottest month ever recorded, with global average air temperature reaching 16.96 degrees Celsius, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).
According to the climate monitoring agency, the August global average temperature was 0.85 degrees Celsius above the 1991-2020 average, making it the warmest August on record and, according to the report cited here, the hottest month in recorded human history.
A major factor behind the record heat was exceptionally high sea surface temperatures, which also reached record levels during the month.
The period from June to August was also recorded as the hottest summer on record, the C3S report said.
Climate experts attributed the exceptional temperatures to human-caused global warming as well as the strengthening influence of the El Niño weather phenomenon.
El Niño is a climate pattern in which large parts of the Pacific Ocean become warmer than normal, contributing to a rise in global temperatures. During La Niña, Pacific Ocean temperatures are comparatively cooler.
The combination of these climate patterns can contribute to extreme heat across different parts of the world, with similar conditions last experienced in 2023 and 2024.
When El Niño emerged in 2023, every month for 13 consecutive months was subsequently recorded as the hottest such month on record.
The C3S experts also noted that it was unusual for August temperatures to surpass those recorded in July.
Climate scientists said the world was already witnessing severe impacts of climate change, with people in different regions being affected by increasingly extreme weather conditions.
They warned that the intensity of extreme weather events is continuing to increase and is expected to remain elevated over the long term as global temperatures rise.(KNS)
