Copernicus data shows September 2026 ranked second hottest amid strong El Niño
Copernicus Climate Change Service data indicates September 2026 was the second hottest September on record, with global temperatures 1.63°C above pre-industrial levels. It was the second month in a row above 1.5°C, while September sea surface temperatures hit a record high as El Niño strengthened. Europe saw unusually warm and dry conditions, including record warmth in Western Europe and exceptionally low river flows in several major basins.
Copernicus reports September 2026 as the second-hottest September on record. Global air temperatures averaged 16.27°C, 0.82°C above the 1991–2020 norm and 0.11°C shy of 2023’s high. It was the second straight month above 1.5°C relative to pre-industrial times, while monthly sea surface temperatures set a record as El Niño gained strength. Antarctic winter sea ice reached its third-smallest maximum.
Europe’s land temperature averaged 16.26°C, 1.54°C above the 1991–2020 average. Western Europe tied its warmest September. Dryness worsened or spread across Iberia, France, Italy, the western Balkans and Greece, with very low flows in the Rhine, Danube, Vistula and Garonne-Dordogne. Northern and northeastern Europe and Türkiye were wetter than usual.
The continued warmth and European dryness could strain water supplies, farming, hydropower and river transport in affected basins, while record sea surface temperatures may pressure marine ecosystems and fisheries. A strengthening El Niño may shift rainfall and storm patterns worldwide, potentially affecting harvests, food prices, public health and disaster planning. People in drought-hit regions, coastal communities and sectors reliant on stable weather may face the greatest near-term disruptions, though exact outcomes remain uncertain.