Global temperatures through the first eight months of 2026 are running well above historical averages, and a rapidly strengthening El Niño in the Pacific threatens to push the year past every prior record, raising hard questions about what governments are actually doing to prepare. August 2026 tied for the hottest month ever measured on Earth, […] The post Experts forecast 2026 could become the hottest year on record as Super El Niño builds appeared first on American Almanac .
Global temperatures through the first eight months of 2026 are running well above historical averages, and a rapidly strengthening El Niño in the Pacific threatens to push the year past every prior record, raising hard questions about what governments are actually doing to prepare. August 2026 tied for the hottest month ever measured on Earth, matching a record first set in July 2023, with an average surface air temperature of 16.82°C (about 62.3°F). That figure, drawn from the Copernicus Climate Change Service, landed 0.85°C above the 1991, 2020 average and edged out July 2026 by a tenth of a degree. Average sea surface temperatures outside polar regions hit 21.07°C (roughly 69.9°F), the hottest reading on record for any August,…Open
France reported nearly 6,000 excess deaths during a Europe-wide heatwave throughout June and July.
France’s public health agency has revealed a sharp rise in excess deaths during a record-breaking heatwave earlier this year, highlighting Europe’s lack of air conditioning and its vulnerability to high temperatures. PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: - DETAIL: According to Public Health France, the country experienced 5,764 excess deaths during a historic heatwave which hit the European continent from June 17 to July 2. The agency reported 21,674 deaths during the heatwave, significantly higher than the 15,910 deaths statistically expected based on prior years. The data was released on Wednesday. This constitutes a 36 percent increase in mortality rates and the highest excess death count from a heatwave in France since 2003, when…Open
A new study has suggested that almost 3,000 people have died in the United Kingdom due to recent heatwaves.
A new study has suggested over 2,500 people across England and Wales died during unprecedented heatwaves throughout May and June, underscoring the risks posed by extreme heat and the need for air conditioning. PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: A new study has suggested that almost 3,000 people have died in England and Wales due to recent heatwaves. DETAIL: According to a new study conducted by Imperial College London, the Met Office, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, approximately 2,700 people may have died from heat-related causes during the heatwaves in England and Wales throughout May and June. Statistics for the United Kingdom’s other Home Nations, Scotland and Northern Ireland, would likely drive the estimate…Open
New June temperature records were set in the U.K. and France this week as a deadly heat wave grips much of Europe. Why it matters: A new World Weather Attribution analysis found human-caused climate change made this week's extreme heat "virtually impossible" 50 years ago. The big picture: Extreme heat warnings have been issued across the continent this week, from Ireland to Slovenia . - "The heatwave will spread over large parts of Western, Central, and Southern Europe within the next two weeks," the UN's World Meteorological Organization said in a statement . - Spain saw new temperature highs this week as Spanish officials reported at least 212 heat-related deaths. Five heat-related deaths were recorded in Italy. - France reported…
New June temperature records were set in the U.K. and France this week as a deadly heat wave grips much of Europe. Why it matters: A new World Weather Attribution analysis found human-caused climate change made this week's extreme heat "virtually impossible" 50 years ago. The big picture: Extreme heat warnings have been issued across the continent this week, from Ireland to Slovenia . - "The heatwave will spread over large parts of Western, Central, and Southern Europe within the next two weeks," the UN's World Meteorological Organization said in a statement . - Spain saw new temperature highs this week as Spanish officials reported at least 212 heat-related deaths. Five heat-related deaths were recorded in Italy. - France reported…Open