September 2026 2nd-warmest on record globally: EU climate service agency

September 2026 was the second-warmest September on record globally, with average temperatures reaching 1.63C above pre-industrial levels, according to the latest data released by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) on Monday. The EU's climate monitoring service said that September marked the second consecutive month this year in which global temperatures exceeded the 1.5C threshold above pre-industrial levels. The global average surface air temperature stood at 16.27C (61.29F), which was 0.82C above the 1991-2020 average. Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, said September was marked by exceptionally high temperatures across parts of Europe following an extreme summer. "We are in a new run of months above 1.5C, and with a strong El Nino still intensifying it is likely to last into 2027," Buontempo said. Western Europe records warmest September Europe experienced its third-warmest September on record, with the average temperature over European land reaching 16.26C (61.27F), or 1.54C above the 1991-2020 average. Western Europe recorded its joint-warmest September, tying with 2023 at 2.51C above the seasonal average. The region also experienced widespread dry conditions, particularly across western, central and parts of eastern Europe, with drought conditions intensifying in several areas compared with August. El Nino pushes sea temperatures to record levels The average sea surface temperature across extra-polar oceans between 60 degrees south and 60 degrees north reached 21.05C (69.89F) in September, the highest level recorded for the month. Sea surface temperatures remained exceptionally high across much of the tropical Pacific as El Nino conditions strengthened. Prolonged dry conditions across Europe resulted in exceptionally low river flows, with parts of the Rhine, Danube, Vistula, and Garonne-Dordogne recording their lowest September levels. Dry conditions intensified or expanded across parts of the Iberian Peninsula, France, Italy, the western Balkans, and Greece. Outside Europe, below-average precipitation affected parts of North and South America, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Siberia, Central Asia, Pakistan, China, and southeastern Australia. Antarctic sea ice reaches 3rd-lowest winter maximum The Antarctic sea ice extent reached its third-lowest annual winter maximum in the satellite record, while the monthly extent was approximately 6% below the September average. The Arctic's daily sea ice extent reached its annual summer minimum, ranking the 14th lowest in the satellite record. Monthly Arctic sea ice extent was around 10% below average.