ISLAMABAD: September 2026 was the second-warmest September ever recorded worldwide, with the global average temperature reaching 1.63°C above the pre-industrial level, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).
The finding highlights the continuing rise in global temperatures and the growing risks associated with climate change. However, September 2026 was not the warmest September on record; only one September in the historical record was warmer.
🌡 The latest C3S Climate Bulletin reports September was the 2nd-warmest on record, at 1.63°C above the estimated pre-industrial level. The average sea surface temperature across the extra-polar ocean reached a September record of 21.05°C. https://t.co/hPLo0JxSjT https://t.co/3OckqKKhuW
— Copernicus ECMWF (@CopernicusECMWF) October 12, 2026
The warmest September on record was September 2023, according to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. September 2026 was 0.11°C cooler than September 2023.
Read Also: August Hottest Month Ever Recorded Globally: EU Monitor
What does the pre-industrial period mean?
The term “pre-industrial period” generally refers to 1850–1900, a baseline commonly used by climate scientists to compare modern temperatures with those before the major effects of industrialisation and the widespread use of fossil fuels.
September 2026 was the second warmest September on record (after 2023’s “gobsmackingly bananas” month), coming in at 1.63C above preindustrial levels in the ERA5 dataset. https://t.co/yct78RxQ7l
— Zeke Hausfather (@hausfath) October 2, 2026
The Industrial Revolution began in Britain in the second half of the 18th century, around 1760. As industrial activity expanded, the burning of coal, oil and gas increased greenhouse gas emissions, trapping more heat in the atmosphere.
The reported 1.63°C rise compares the global average temperature for September with the 1850–1900 baseline. It does not mean that temperatures in every country or region rose by the same amount.
Read Also: El Niño Breaks Pacific Temperature Record, Raising Global Heat Fears
Global warming and the 1.5°C threshold
The Copernicus assessment adds to concerns that global warming is pushing the planet towards the temperature limits identified under the 2015 Paris Agreement.
🌡️ September 2026 was the 2nd warmest globally & 3rd warmest in Europe on record.
🇪🇺 Western Europe saw exceptional heat, with parts of France, Portugal, Spain & Italy 4–6°C above average.
🛰️ #CopernicusEU tracks climate extremes.
🔗 https://t.co/uMOM5xYwWm
#ImageOfTheDay https://t.co/u6R6WS1VNK
— Copernicus EU (@CopernicusEU) October 12, 2026
The agreement aims to hold the increase in global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels while pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C.
A single month exceeding 1.5°C does not, by itself, mean that the long-term Paris Agreement temperature limit has formally been breached. That assessment depends on longer-term global temperature averages.
🌡️🔥No surprise to those of you following along, but it’s now official: NOAA confirmed this morning that September 2026 was the hottest September in U.S. history, smashing the previous record by 0.47°F.
That’s now THREE CONSECUTIVE months of record-breaking heat across the contiguous U.S.
July. August. September.
Absolutely extraordinary.
— The Global Warmer🔥 (@TheGlobalWarmer) October 8, 2026
What about Pakistan?
Pakistan is highly vulnerable to climate change, facing risks from extreme heat, floods, droughts and changing rainfall patterns. Above-normal temperatures can increase pressure on water supplies, agriculture, public health and electricity demand.
Read Also: Pakistan Records Second-Hottest Year in 65 Years as Climate Risks Intensify
However, global monthly temperature figures cannot be directly compared with Pakistan’s national temperature readings without matching the periods and datasets.
