September 2026 was registered by the EU’s Copernicus Climate Service as the second warmest September ever recorded globally. The global temperatures reached 1.63°C above pre-industrial levels, marking the second consecutive month that the 1.5°C threshold has been surpassed.
In terms of oceanic conditions, sea surface temperatures between 60°S and 60°N hit a record high in September. This extreme heat is attributed to strengthening El Niño conditions, which could escalate into one of the most powerful El Niño events ever documented. Concurrently, the sea ice surrounding Antarctica recorded its third-lowest annual winter maximum.
Across Europe, the month maintained the unusually warm and dry conditions established earlier in summer. It proved the third warmest September for the continent as a whole, with Western Europe logging its warmest September on record. The persistent drought resulted in extremely low river levels across parts of the Rhine, Danube, Vistula, and Garonne-Dordogne, which led to severe disruptions in shipping, water supply, and agriculture. Later in the month, however, some regions found relief from the dry spell, while parts of Northern and Eastern Europe, as well as Turkey, experienced above-average rainfall.
Carlo Buontempo, Director of the Copernicus Climate Service, commented on the findings, stating that crossing the long-term limit established by the Paris Agreement is merely a matter of time. He added that how far above this boundary temperatures rise, and for how long that sustained period lasts, remains uncertain.
