Western Europe Breaks 2003 Heat Record as August Global Temperature Hits 1.65c Above Pre-Industrial Levels

August 2026 was the joint hottest month ever recorded globally, tying the record set in July 2023, according to the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service.

The global average surface air temperature reached 1.65°C above the estimated pre-industrial baseline, the first time any month has exceeded the 1.5°C threshold since November 2025, according to Copernicus data.

The milestone came in the same month that western Europe recorded its warmest summer since records began, overtaking the previous record set in 2003. Copernicus said the region endured 'a succession of exceptionally early, persistent and intense heatwaves' during a run of extreme heat that began in May.

What Copernicus Recorded

Copernicus, which is implemented by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, put the global-average surface air temperature for August 2026 at 16.96°C.

That was 0.85°C above the 1991 to 2020 average for the month, making it the warmest August in the ERA5 dataset and surpassing the previous joint record set in 2023 and 2024, according to Copernicus.

Samantha Burgess, Strategic Lead for Climate at ECMWF, said 'August 2026 was a remarkable month in the global climate record'. She added that the data showed how climate change is driving extremes across both the atmosphere and the oceans.

Europe's Record Summer and a Deepening Drought

Western Europe's summer beat the previous benchmark set in 2003, a heatwave that caused substantial excess mortality across Europe.

Research published in Comptes Rendus Biologies estimated that more than 70,000 additional deaths occurred across 16 European countries during summer 2003, although estimates of the wider European toll vary.

Copernicus also flagged severe drought across France, Hungary, Romania, Serbia and the UK, with major rivers including the Rhine, Danube, Southern Bug and Dnieper running exceptionally low.

That matches the picture in Britain, where the Environment Agency reported 10 areas of England are officially in drought status, while temporary use bans remained in place across large parts of the country.

Reservoir storage in England had fallen to 58 per cent of capacity by the week ending 1 September, well below the long-term average, despite a wetter end to August. The Environment Agency has warned that further significant rainfall is needed to return water resources to normal conditions in many parts of England.

Oceans Hit Record Highs as El Niño Strengthens

It was not only the air that broke records, as Copernicus recorded the highest daily global sea surface temperature over the extra-polar ocean, at 21.11°C. The agency also logged the joint highest monthly average sea surface temperature across the extra-polar ocean, tied with March 2024.

The agency attributed the high sea surface temperatures to global heating and rapidly increasing temperatures in the equatorial Pacific associated with strong El Niño conditions.

Copernicus warned that the event is forecast to strengthen and could become one of the strongest El Niño events on record, with conditions favouring the intensification of seasonal wildfires across Indonesia.

The consequences of record-breaking temperatures and worsening drought are now being felt around the world, with communities facing extreme heat, water shortages and wildfires.

As temperatures continue to rise, these conditions are straining agriculture, ecosystems and already stretched water supplies, highlighting the wider risks posed by a changing climate.