2026 most likely to be second-warmest year on record, EU climate monitor says
October was third consecutive month above 1.5C warming threshold
The world is on course for 2026 to be the second-hottest year on record, with a 20% chance of tying or beating 2024 as the warmest ever, the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service said in its monthly bulletin. An exceptionally strong El Nino is supercharging human-driven global warming. Copernicus said global temperatures are “virtually certain” to exceed 1.5C above pre-industrial levels in 2026.