PARIS: The year 2026 is on track to become the second-hottest year ever recorded, with global temperatures virtually certain to remain more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the European Union’s (EU) climate monitoring service said on Friday.
In its monthly bulletin, the Copernicus Climate Change Service said there was also a 20 per cent chance that 2026 could tie with or surpass 2024 as the warmest year since records began.
The latest assessment highlights the persistence of exceptionally high global temperatures, reinforcing concerns over the accelerating impacts of climate change and the growing pressure on governments to strengthen their environmental policies.
🌡 The latest C3S Climate Bulletin reports that 2026 is virtually certain (>99%) to exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Global and sea surface temperature were both record high for the month.
⬇️ https://t.co/aBrX6tBYEE
— Copernicus ECMWF (@CopernicusECMWF) November 6, 2026
Scientists have repeatedly warned that rising greenhouse gas emissions, primarily from burning fossil fuels, are driving global warming and intensifying extreme weather events, including heatwaves, droughts, floods and wildfires.
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The 1.5°C threshold is a key benchmark under the 2015 Paris climate agreement, which aims to limit global warming to well below 2°C while pursuing efforts to keep it to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
Although temporarily exceeding this threshold in annual temperature records does not mean the long-term Paris target has formally been breached, repeated record-breaking years underline the urgency of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and accelerating the transition to cleaner energy.
