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Global temperatures hit record high in August 2026
August 2026 has been recorded as the hottest month globally, matching the record set in July 2023. According to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, the global average surface air temperature reached 16.96 °C, which is 1.65 °C above pre-industrial levels. This marks the first time since November 2025 that global temperatures have exceeded the 1.5 °C threshold established by the Paris Agreement.
Ocean temperatures also reached unprecedented levels. Average sea surface temperatures outside the polar regions hit a record monthly average of 21.07 °C, while the highest daily global sea surface temperature was recorded at 21.11 °C. Scientists attribute these extreme temperatures to a combination of long-term global warming driven by fossil fuel combustion and the intensification of the El Niño weather pattern in the Pacific.
Regional impacts have been severe. Western Europe experienced its hottest summer on record, surpassing the previous high from 2003. In the United States, the contiguous territory recorded its warmest summer in 132 years, with an average temperature of 23.6 °C. Spain also faced an extreme summer, recording 61 days of heatwaves and an average temperature of 24.5 °C, which resulted in over 5,000 heat-related deaths according to the Carlos III Health Institute.
Entities
Austrian National Bank · Copernicus · Copernicus Climate Change Service · ECMWF · El Niño · El Niño · Erik Kjellström · European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts · European Union · Jakob Schwarz · National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration · Pacific Ocean
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 7 SOURCES] Spain recorded 61 days of extreme temperatures during the summer. www.mersinhaber.com · www.farodevigo.es · www.bulevardnews.com · rtsh.al
- [DISPUTED] Approximately 296,000 hectares of land burned in Spain due to wildfires this year. www.mersinhaber.com · rtsh.al
- [● 2 SOURCES] Galicia saw 22% less rainfall during the summer compared to usual.
- [● 5 SOURCES] Over 5,000 people died due to extreme heat between June and August. www.mersinhaber.com · www.bulevardnews.com · rtsh.al
- [● 8 SOURCES] The summer of 2026 was the warmest in Spain since records began in 1961. www.mersinhaber.com · www.farodevigo.es · www.bulevardnews.com · rtsh.al
- [● 8 SOURCES] The average temperature for the three-month summer period was 24.5 degrees Celsius. www.mersinhaber.com · www.farodevigo.es · www.bulevardnews.com · rtsh.al
- [● 3 SOURCES] Galicia experienced its warmest summer in at least 65 years, with an average temperature of 21.4 degrees Celsius. www.lavozdegalicia.es
- [DISPUTED] July was the hottest month of any month on record in the US.
- [DISPUTED] August 2026 was the warmest August on record with an average temperature of 75.6F. www.tag24.com · haitigazette.com · jamaicainquirer.com · barbadosgazette.com · dominicanrepublicpost.com
- [● 12 SOURCES] Four of the hottest summers on record occurred within the past five years. www.tag24.com · haitigazette.com · jamaicainquirer.com · barbadosgazette.com · dominicanrepublicpost.com
- [● 12 SOURCES] The contiguous US experienced its hottest summer since modern recordkeeping began. www.tag24.com · haitigazette.com · jamaicainquirer.com · barbadosgazette.com · dominicanrepublicpost.com
- [● 13 SOURCES] The average temperature for the meteorological summer (June-August) was 74.4F. www.tag24.com · haitigazette.com · jamaicainquirer.com · barbadosgazette.com · dominicanrepublicpost.com