In Ukraine, October 2026 was the warmest on record
October 2026 was the warmest on record since global meteorological observations began. The average global air temperature was 1.75 degrees Celsius higher than pre-industrial levels.
October broke the temperature record
In October, the global surface air temperature exceeded the pre-industrial average for the years 1850–1900 by 1.75 degrees. This is the highest reading for this month in recorded history.
It is also the third consecutive month in which the global temperature anomaly has exceeded 1.5 degrees.
According to the Copernicus forecast, 2026 is most likely to rank as the second-warmest year on record. The probability that it will match or exceed the record set in 2024 is about 20%.
In addition, the average global temperature for the four-year period from 2023 to 2026 is also expected to exceed pre-industrial levels by more than 1.5 degrees.
The oceans are also breaking records
In October, the average ocean surface temperature outside the polar regions was 20.95 degrees. This is the highest October reading on record, surpassing the previous record set in 2023.
Particularly high temperatures were recorded in the tropical Pacific Ocean, where the El Niño phenomenon was intensifying. In the El Niño region, the 3.4-month sea surface temperature anomaly reached 3.21 degrees—a historic high that exceeded the peak values of previous strong El Niño events.
According to Samantha Burgess, the ECMWF’s strategic climate director, El Niño is further warming a climate that has already experienced significant warming due to human activity.
Europe recorded its second-warmest October
Last month was the second-warmest October on record in Europe. The greatest deviations from average temperatures were recorded in Eastern Europe and Scandinavia.
At the same time, river flows remained exceptionally low in Central and Eastern Europe. This was particularly true of the Rhine, Danube, and Vistula.
In other parts of Europe, the situation was the opposite: heavy rains and flooding affected the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Greece, and Turkey.
The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) emphasizes that the combination of record-high air and ocean temperatures indicates a prolonged period of global warming.
This is reported with reference to a statement from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).
As a reminder, October in Kyiv was among the six warmest on record over the past 145 years.
