WMO report: 2026 among hottest years as El Niño threatens more extreme weather

2026 continues a prolonged period of exceptional global temperatures, ice melt, and sea-level rise, with an intense El Niño event expected to trigger further heat and extreme weather beyond 2027, according to a new World Meteorological Organization report. The report, presented at COP31, reveals the last 12 years were individually the hottest on record, with the last four ranking highest. Global average temperature from January to September 2026 was about 1.47°C above pre-industrial levels, likely to increase by year's end. Sea levels have reached historic highs, and glacier mass loss in 2025 could fill five Olympic pools every second. UN officials warn of a "new era of climate extremes," though early warning systems have expanded from 56 countries in 2015 to 136 in 2025.