August 2026 was the hottest month ever recorded on Earth. Scientists say the global average temperature was 62.53 degrees Fahrenheit (16.96 degrees Celsius). This is the same temperature as the record from July 2023. There are two main reasons for this heat. One reason is climate change caused by humans. The other reason is a natural cycle called El Niño. Human activities, like burning fossil fuels, make El Niño even hotter. This combination makes the planet very warm.
The temperature in August was 1.65 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. This is nearly 3 degrees Fahrenheit. This number is a big problem because it is higher than the 1.5 degrees Celsius limit from the 2015 Paris climate agreement. This shows that the Earth is warming very fast.
The heat was very strong in different places. In the United States, the Lower 48 states were extremely hot. The average temperature in the U.S. was 75.58 degrees Fahrenheit (24.21 degrees Celsius). This summer was hotter than the Dust Bowl in 1936. The oceans are also very warm. In August, ocean temperatures tied a record from March 2024. Warm oceans can cause more extreme weather.
Scientists believe that 2026 might become the hottest year in history. It might be hotter than 2024. Heatwaves will probably happen more often. This is a danger to people and nature. The world is moving further away from the stable temperatures of the past. The heat in August 2026 shows that the climate is changing quickly.