The European Copernicus service reported that October 2026 was the hottest October in the entire history of instrumental observations.
The average global air temperature reached 15,35 °C. This is 0,9 °C above the average for 1991–2020 and 1,75 °C above the pre-industrial level of 1850–1900.
The sea surface temperature outside the polar regions also set a new record and approached 20,95 °C.
October became the third consecutive month in which the global temperature exceeded the threshold of 1,5 °C relative to the pre-industrial period.
According to Copernicus estimates, 2026 is highly likely to become the second warmest year in history after 2024. The average temperature for the year will almost certainly exceed 1,5 °C and, according to calculations, may reach 1,56–1,61 °C.
