July 2026 breaks global temperature records amid widespread heatwaves

July 2026 shattered global temperature records, marking the second-hottest July since measurements began and pushing sea surface temperatures to an all-time monthly high, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported. The average near-surface air temperature globally reached 1.47°C above the pre-industrial average (1850–1900), according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.

Western Europe endured its hottest June-July period on record, with extreme heatwaves extending into August. This pattern of intense heat, coupled with critically low soil moisture and drought, is wreaking havoc on ecosystems, agriculture, river transport, and energy supplies. The heightened temperatures also significantly increase the risk of wildfires across affected regions.

Temperature records tumbled not only in Europe but also in Central European countries, the Balkans, Japan, South Korea, other parts of Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. These widespread heat events are attributed by the WMO to a combination of long-term global warming and persistent high- and low-pressure systems in the Northern Hemisphere, which can remain stationary for weeks.

Oceans are also bearing the brunt of the heat. July 2026 saw the highest sea surface temperature recorded for the month outside polar regions. Exceptionally high temperatures were noted across the tropical Pacific, where El Niño conditions persist and are forecast to strengthen. Off Europe's coast, record-high temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean and western Mediterranean Sea fueled intense marine heatwaves in several areas. The WMO also issued warnings for heavy rainfall, flash floods, and landslides in parts of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Southeast Asia.

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the current situation is being driven by a combination of long-term global warming and persistent circulation patterns of high- and low-pressure systems across the Northern Hemisphere.