WMO: 2026 ranks among four warmest years on record

The year 2026 is projected to be one of the four warmest years on record, with global temperatures from January to September averaging 1.47 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, according to a new World Meteorological Organization report. The figure exceeds full-year averages for 2025 and 2023, trailing only 2024, the hottest year on record. An intensifying El Niño, expected to be among the strongest by December, will likely push temperatures higher into 2027, the report states. The warming is driven by a record Earth energy imbalance, with atmospheric carbon dioxide up 53% since 1750 and ocean heat breaking records for a tenth straight year. Extreme events, including European heatwaves causing over 30,000 deaths, have worsened food insecurity and displacement.