August Global Heat Hit 62.5F Record as El Niño Pushed Warming to 1.65C
Updated
Updated · abcnews.com · Sep 10
August Global Heat Hit 62.5F Record as El Niño Pushed Warming to 1.65C
3 articles · Updated · abcnews.com · Sep 10
Summary
August became the warmest August on record globally at 62.5 degrees Fahrenheit, the first monthly global temperature record since January 2025, Copernicus said.
The month was 1.65 degrees Celsius above the 1850-1900 average—crossing the Paris Agreement's 1.5C threshold for the first time since November 2025 and tying July 2023 as the joint-hottest month in the dataset.
Record sea-surface heat helped drive the spike: the daily global average reached 69.98 degrees Fahrenheit on Aug. 22, topping the 69.96F record set during the 2024 El Niño.
Copernicus said the strengthening El Niño is amplifying temperatures already elevated by human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, with Western Europe logging its hottest summer on record and widespread heat, drought and wildfire damage.
Could our successful efforts to clean up air pollution actually be accelerating the very heatwaves threatening our survival?
With nighttime temperatures rising rapidly, how will the human body cope when sleep no longer offers an escape from extreme heat?
As major rivers dry up and halt transport, could this escalating heat-drought loop trigger the next massive global supply chain collapse?
August 2026 Temperature Record: Unprecedented Global Heat, Economic Fallout, and Policy Gridlock
Overview
August 2026 marked a turning point in the global climate crisis, as human-made global heating and fossil fuel emissions drove record-breaking temperatures, tying with July 2023 as the hottest month ever. This extreme heat triggered relentless heatwaves and droughts across Europe, leading to devastating wildfires, massive agricultural losses, and at least 35,000 excess deaths. The crisis deepened with record ocean temperatures and a powerful El Niño, accelerating global warming and compounding risks like the weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. These cascading impacts fueled economic instability, disrupted food supplies, and forced millions from their homes, highlighting the urgent need for coordinated global action and adaptation.