July 2026 Was Earth's Second-Warmest on Record, WMO Says

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has confirmed that July 2026 was the second-warmest July ever recorded globally. Average sea-surface temperatures also reached a new high for the month, according to the UN agency's latest assessment.

Western Europe saw its hottest June-July period on record, with extreme heat persisting into August. Several countries are now facing their fourth heatwave since May. The WMO noted that Japan and the Republic of Korea registered record-breaking temperatures last week, while other parts of Asia and some regions of Latin America also experienced severe heat. In West Africa, intense monsoon rainfall triggered flooding in several areas.

From January through June, roughly 82 percent of the world's oceans experienced marine heatwaves of varying intensity, the agency reported.

The WMO also highlighted a surge in wildfire activity across western Europe in July. France could see one of its most severe wildfire seasons in 24 years, while Spain has recorded fire activity well above the seasonal average. Severe wildfires were also reported in parts of the western United States and Canada.

John Kennedy, head of Climate Information at the WMO, explained that high-pressure systems typically bring hot, dry conditions, while low-pressure systems bring cooler, wetter weather. Such high-pressure patterns can persist for days or weeks, as seen this year.

"Extreme heat is becoming more frequent, more intense. It's lasting longer and covering much wider areas than in the cooler climates of the past," Kennedy said. He compared the current pattern to June 1976, which had a similar pressure setup but in a much cooler world. "In 2026, the picture is reversed. It's one of a much warmer world, with a few isolated areas of below average temperatures."