July 2026 was second warmest on record, UN says

The World Meteorological Organization declared Tuesday that July 2026 was the joint second warmest July on record globally, as extreme heat, drought, and wildfires ravaged large parts of the Northern Hemisphere and the UN agency warned that periods of dangerous heat are becoming more frequent, more intense, and longer-lasting.

Average surface air temperatures last month were 1.47°C above the estimated pre-industrial baseline, tying with July 2024 and trailing only the record set in July 2023, according to data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service. Sea-surface temperatures were the highest ever recorded for any July, partly reflecting developing El Niño conditions in the equatorial Pacific.news.un+4

Heat Intensifying Across Continents

"Extreme heat is becoming more frequent, more intense, it's lasting longer, and covering much wider areas than in the cooler climates of the past," John Kennedy, WMO's head of climate information, said at a press briefing in Geneva. He attributed the current pattern to the interaction between persistent high-pressure systems across the Northern Hemisphere and a warmer climate, noting that these systems trap warm air, reduce cloud cover, and block cooler air from moving in for days or weeks.usnews

Kennedy drew a contrast with the famously hot European summer of 1976, which featured a broadly similar pressure pattern but produced far less extreme outcomes in a cooler world. Today, he said, "the picture is reversed" with much of the globe experiencing above-average temperatures.usnews

Western Europe experienced its hottest June–July period on record, with an average temperature of 21.62°C — about 2.79°C above the long-term average — surpassing the previous record set in 2022. France recorded its warmest July on record, with temperatures 3.8°C above normal. Parts of Europe are now enduring their fifth heatwave of the summer, while Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Middle East, and Latin America also recorded exceptional temperatures.newscord+4

Wildfires, Drought, and Wider Extremes

WMO spokesperson Clare Nullis said July saw "exceptional wildfire activity across western Europe" in terms of both area burned and emissions, with France on course for one of its most extreme fire years in 24 years. In North America, fires are raging in parts of the western United States, while Canada had 591 active fires as of Monday, including 43 classified as out of control.news.un

Intense drought is affecting agriculture, river transport, and energy supplies, with low flows recorded in the Seine, Rhine, and Danube. Meanwhile, heavy monsoon rainfall and flooding are striking parts of West Africa and South Asia, and China carried out mass evacuations ahead of Typhoon Dolphin's landfall last weekend.news.un

With El Niño now established in the Pacific, WMO expects global temperatures to rise further, with the peak typically following the El Niño maximum between November and January. The agency stressed that the Early Warnings for All initiative "remains the overriding priority" as extreme weather intensifies.news.un