August 2026 tied with July 2023 as the joint-hottest month on record. Global temperatures reached 1.65C above pre-industrial levels. This surpassed the critical 1.5C threshold agreed by countries. The record was driven by climate change and a strengthening El Niño. Western Europe experienced its warmest summer on record, disrupting schools, straining hospitals and claiming tens of thousands of lives. Scientists warn that records will continue to tumble until fossil fuel emissions are reduced.