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[INTERNATIONAL] · Mexico, United States, United Kingdom · 5 sources

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Part of situation: Extreme heat and record sea temperatures across Europe and W (13 clusters)

Global temperatures hit record highs in August 2026

global warming climate change record temperatures El Niño sea surface temperatures

August 2026 was recorded as the world’s joint hottest month on record, tying with July 2023. According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, global temperatures were 1.65C above pre-industrial levels. This extreme heat was accompanied by record-breaking sea surface temperatures outside of polar regions, reaching 21.07C.

In the United States, August 2026 was the hottest August on record for the contiguous country, with an average temperature of 75.6 degrees Fahrenheit. This figure was 3.5 degrees higher than the 20th-century average.

Regional climate trends show significant warming in Mexico, where temperatures have increased by approximately 1.9 degrees Celsius, a rate that has accelerated since 2012. In the United Kingdom, September was provisionally the joint fourth warmest September on record, continuing a trend where every month in 2026 has been warmer than average.

Scientists attribute these extreme conditions to a combination of global heating and the El Niño phenomenon, which is expected to influence global temperature and precipitation patterns through 2027.

Entities

Copernicus Climate Change Service · Met Office · National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration · UNAM · United Kingdom · United States · World Meteorological Organization

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

  • [○ 1 SOURCE] August 2026 was the hottest August on record for the contiguous United States. www.supertalk.fm
  • [○ 1 SOURCE] September 2026 was provisionally the joint fourth warmest September on record for the United Kingdom. www.bbc.co.uk
  • [○ 1 SOURCE] Every month in the United Kingdom has been warmer than average in 2026. www.bbc.co.uk
  • [● 2 SOURCES] Sea surface temperatures away from polar regions reached a record high of 21.07C for August. theecologist.org · swisslatin.ch
  • [● 2 SOURCES] Global temperatures in August were 1.65C above pre-industrial levels. theecologist.org · swisslatin.ch
  • [● 2 SOURCES] August 2026 was the world’s joint hottest month on record, tying with July 2023. theecologist.org · swisslatin.ch
  • [○ 1 SOURCE] The average temperature for August across the contiguous U.S. was 75.6 degrees Fahrenheit. www.supertalk.fm
  • [○ 1 SOURCE] Mexico has experienced a temperature increase of approximately 1.9 degrees Celsius. www.elbuentono.com.mx

Sources

México alcanza 1. 9 grados de calentamiento ante aceleración del cambio climático [www.elbuentono.com.mx]
August was hottest on record, and Mississippi could tell - SuperTalk Mississippi [www.supertalk.fm]
La Tierra vivió su agosto 2026 más caluroso desde que hay registros [swisslatin.ch]
UK weather: September warmth means 2026 could be one of the warmest years on record [www.bbc.co.uk]
'A brutal reminder' [theecologist.org]