Copernicus: 2 September 2026 was the second hottest on record
This is the second consecutive month in which global temperatures have been 1.5 degrees higher than pre-industrial levels
September 2026 was the second warmest September on record (after 2023) and the second consecutive month of 2026 in which global temperatures exceeded pre-industrial levels by 1.5 degrees. The average sea surface temperature in September for the band between 60 degrees S and 60 degrees N was the highest ever recorded for that month, against a backdrop of intensifying El Niño. This was announced by Copernicus, the weather service of the EU.
In September, global temperatures reached 1.63 degrees above pre-industrial levels, continuing a new run of months that began in August with values exceeding 1.5 degrees, which is expected to last until 2027. El Niño conditions continued to strengthen in the equatorial Pacific, likely resulting in one of the most intense El Niño events ever recorded. Meanwhile, around Antarctica, sea ice extent reached its third-lowest level on record for the annual winter maximum.
The global average surface air temperature in September 2026 was 16.27 degrees, which is 0.82 degrees above the 1991–2020 average, making it the second warmest September globally, 0.11 degrees cooler than September 2023. September 2026 was 1.63 degrees warmer than the estimated pre-industrial average for the period 1850–1900. This is the first time since November 2025 that two consecutive months have recorded temperatures 1.5 degrees above this average.
