Earth logged its hottest August on record, blowing past 1.5 C as El Nino piled on

August 2026 was the hottest month ever recorded on Earth, with global temperatures rising above a major climate benchmark.

The reason behind the brutal heat remains clear: The burning of coal, oil, and gas is driving long-term warming, while El Niño has likely added a smaller burst of extra heat.

Here's what to know

Copernicus, which tracks temperature data, put August 2026's global average temperature at 16.96 degrees Celsius (62.53 degrees Fahrenheit), per CBC. 

62.53 degrees Fahrenheit is a whopping 2.97 degrees warmer than the preindustrial baseline. A temperature increase of this size puts the month above the 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit benchmark associated with the goals of the Paris climate agreement.  

Texas A&M University climate scientist Andrew Dessler said of the record, per CBC: "It is now time to stop acting surprised that our warming planet keeps getting warmer. This is occurring exactly as forecast by scientists literally decades ago."

Copernicus has now reported that the eight hottest months ever recorded have all occurred since July 2023.

Samantha Burgess, who serves as the strategic climate lead for Copernicus, explained to CBC that El Niño typically adds only about 0.2 or 0.4 degrees Fahrenheit to a global temperature average, meaning most of the warming we're seeing is from the burning of coal, oil, and gas.

More background

Reducing fossil-fuel use remains central to stopping this horrifying trend. 

U.N. climate chief Simon Stiell stated to CBC: "Until humanity stops burning colossal amounts of coal, oil, and gas, the pollution this causes will keep baking our planet, and extreme heat will keep smashing all-time records, killing millions, and costing trillions, hitting transport and health systems, and pushing up prices for household basics like food."

For individuals, the most immediate actions are often protective ones, such as staying updated during heat alerts, checking on neighbors, using cooling resources, and preparing for smoke, power outages, or evacuation risks during extreme weather. It also means voting out politicians who deny the reality that the planet is overheating.

At the community level, it is critical to prioritize expanding cleaner energy, upgrading power grids, improving building efficiency, and investing in heat-safe infrastructure such as cooling centers, shaded public spaces, and more resilient roads and transit systems.

Where can I learn more?

August's global record showed up in local extremes, too, from Australia to the United States and the Middle East. Each story highlights how the same fossil-fuel-driven warming is worsening heat, humidity, and health risks in everyday life.

• Across the U.S., record humidity pushed conditions close to the limits of survivability.

• In New England, a heat wave pushed temperatures to historic highs and sharpened health dangers.

• In Sweihan, the UAE endured record-breaking heat again as dangerous exposure risks mounted.

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