July 2026 ties with July 2024 as Earth’s hottest month on record

Climate scientist Stefan Rahmstorf took this vacation photo from Lacanau beach in France on July 24, showing a dense plume of smoke from a wildfire burning near Bordeaux. (Used with permission from Stefan Rahmstorf) July 2026 tied with July 2024 as the planet’s hottest July since modern record-keeping began in 1850, NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, or NCEI, reported August 11. NASA rated July 2026 as the hottest July on record, while the European Copernicus Climate Change Service rated it the second-hottest. Climatologically, July is the hottest month of the year, so July 2026 and 2024 are “more likely than not the hottest months on record for the globe since 1850,” NOAA said. The global average temperature for January-July 2026 was the third-highest on record. Figure 1. Departure of temperature from average for July 2026, tied with July 2024 as the world’s hottest month since record-keeping began in 1850. Record-high July temperatures were widespread, spanning western Europe, the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, Central America, and regions across North and South America, Africa, Asia, the Arctic and parts of every major ocean basin. Record-cold July temperatures were observed over only a very small fraction of Antarctica. (Image credit: NOAA/NCEI) Global ocean surface temperatures were the warmest on record for July, while global land temperatures were the third-warmest. By the end of July, the daily sea surface temperature for 60°S-60°N was 21.05°C, in second place by only 0.04°C behind the all-time record set in March 2024. North America, Africa, and Asia experienced their warmest July on record; South America, its sixth-warmest; Europe, its seventh-warmest; and Oceania, its eighth-warmest. As detailed in our post yesterday, July 2026 was the hottest month in U.S. history, eclipsing the record set in 1936 during the Dust Bowl. According to NCEI’s statistical analysis, there is a 99.9% chance that 2026 will rank among the four warmest years on record, but a 0% chance it will be the hottest year on record. However, this statistics-based product is not designed to explicitly take El Niño or La Niña events into account, so with a record-strong global-atmosphere-warming El Niño event looking more and more likely, it’s quite possible that 2026 will be the hottest year on record. Climate scientist Zeke Hausfather posits that 2026 will come very close to being the hottest year on record, with 2027 likely to run away with the record. Billion-dollar weather disasters For the first half of 2026 (January-June), insurance broker Gallagher Re cataloged 29 billion-dollar weather events globally: nine severe weather outbreaks (all in the U.S.), six floods, five European windstorms, four winter weather events, three tropical cyclones, and two droughts (in Brazil and the U.S.). The economic cost of weather-related disasters was $104 billion, notably below the decadal average of $139 billion. Gallagher Re called this a “manageable start” to the year for the insurance industry. According to Climate Central, the U.S. experienced 12 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in the first half of 2026, causing at least $31.9 billion in damage and ranking fifth for the most January-June events on record. The most expensive of these was a severe weather outbreak on April 23-26 in the central and Southern U.S. that cost $6.8 billion. The outbreak had 99 confirmed tornadoes. There were also more than one thousand reports of severe hail and high wind damage from Texas to Indiana. NOAA expects the current strong El Niño event to reach “super” status An El Niño advisory continues in the Eastern Pacific, NOAA reported in its July 9 monthly discussion of the state of the El Niño/Southern Oscillation, or ENSO (a new discussion is not coming until August 13). NOAA predicted with the highest possible confidence (100% chance) that El Niño conditions will continue through February 2027. Weekly average sea surface temperatures in the benchmark Niño 3.4 region (updated August 10) are at 1.8°C above average, well above the 1.5°C threshold for a strong El Niño event. The threshold for a very strong event is 2°C (colloquially dubbed a “super” event). According to official probabilities from the NOAA Climate Prediction Center issued July 20, the August-September-October peak of hurricane season has a 100% chance of El Niño. NOAA is giving a 48% chance of very strong El Niño conditions being in place during peak hurricane season and an 81% chance for the October-December period. El Niño conditions are already suppressing current Atlantic hurricane activity through an increase in wind shear. Arctic sea ice: sixth-lowest July extent on record According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, Arctic sea ice extent during July 2026 was the sixth-lowest in the 48-year satellite record. The Arctic experienced its third-warmest July on record. Notably, the Arctic’s 10 warmest Julys have all occurred since 2012. From mid-June to mid-July, Arctic sea ice extent was running close to the levels observed in 2012, which eventually set the all-time record for lowest seasonal extent in September. That record appears to be safe for now, as the pace of Arctic sea ice loss over the past three weeks has not kept up with 2012’s rate of decline. Antarctic sea ice extent in July 2026 was the fifth-lowest on record. The Antarctic region was cooler than average at -0.27°C (-0.49°F) below average, its coolest July since 2016. Notable global heat and cold marks for July 2026 Weather records expert Maximiliano Herrera has documented the records listed below in July. Follow him on Bluesky: @extremetemps.bsky.social or X: @extremetemps. Hottest temperature in the Northern Hemisphere: 52.7°C (126.9°F) at Omidieh, Iran, July 14; Coldest temperature in the Northern Hemisphere: -25.9°C (-14.6°F) at Summit, Greenland, July 3 and East Grip, Greenland, July 13; Hottest temperature in the Southern Hemisphere: 41.6°C (106.9°F) at Pozo Hondo, Argentina, July 17; and Coldest temperature in the Southern Hemisphere: -84.1°C (-119.4°F) at Concordia, Antarctica, July 18. Seventeen all-time national/territorial heat records beaten or tied as of the end of July Chad: 48.0°C (118.4°F) at Faya, May 19 (tie)Bahrain: 47.6°C (117.7°F) at Bahrain Airport, May 29Jersey (UK territory): 39.3°C (102.6°F) at Maison St. Louis, June 25Guernsey (UK territory): 36.4°C (97.5°F) at Rocquaine Bay, June 25Luxembourg: 40.9°C (105.6°F) at Reckange, June 26Denmark: 37.0°C (98.6°F) at Odum and Odense, June 27Germany: 41.8°C (107.2°F) at Mockern-Drewitz, June 27Czech Republic: 41.9°C (107.4°F) at Doksany, June 28Poland: 40.5°C (104.9°F)at Slubice, June 28Belarus: 40.4°C (104.7°F)at Pinsk, June 29Slovakia: 41.3°C (106.3°F)at Kamenice nad Hronom, June 30Hungary: 42.0°C (107.6°F) at Szecseny, June 30Uzbekistan: 49.7°C (121.5°F) at Achkuduk, July 18 (tie)Kyrgyzstan: 44.6°C (112.3°F) at Jangy Jer, July 19Switzerland: 39.7°C (103.5°F) at Basel, July 30 (tie)Liechtenstein: 38.2°C (100.8°F) at Balzers, July 30South Korea: 41.4°C (106.5°F) at Yangsan, July 31 One all-time national/territorial cold record beaten or tied as of the end of July Cuba: 0°C (32.0°F) at Indio Hatuey, February 3 Forty-two additional monthly national or territorial heat records set in 2026 January (5): U.S. Virgin Islands, Saba, Sao Tome and Principe, Congo Brazzaville, Aruba February (7): French Southern Territories, Armenia, Iran, Turkmenistan, U.S. Virgin Islands, USA, Honduras March (6): U.S. Virgin Islands, Sao Tome and Principe, United States, Guyana, Somalia, French Southern Territories April (1): French Southern Territories May (12): Togo, Sao Tome and Principe, Honduras, Jersey, Guernsey, UK, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, France, Andorra, Turkmenistan June (16): Costa Rica, Antarctica, Kenya, Sao Tome and Principe,.U.S. Virgin Islands, New Zealand, UK, Switzerland, Isle of Man, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Lithuania, Montenegro, Slovenia, Croatia July (11): Honduras, U.S. Virgin Islands, Argentina, Uruguay, Malta, Tanzania, Costa Rica, Austria, Cuba, Paraguay, El Salvador Six nations or territories have set monthly all-time cold records in 2026 January (1): Cocos Islands February (2): Bahamas, Belize March (2): Saba, Antarctica April (1): Algeria Major weather stations in July: 250 all-time heat records, 2 all-time cold records Among global stations with a record going back to at least 1980, at least 250 set, not just tied, an all-time heat record in July. Only two stations, in Argentina and in Fiji, set an all-time cold record. According to Herrera, thousands of additional stations in Europe, Asia, and North America set all-time heat records in July, but it was not humanly possible for one person to evaluate and catalogue them. He added, “My June and July data is plagued by errors. Hundreds of stations worldwide (especially in Europe) broke their records 5-10 times in a row in June, then rebroke them in July, and again several times in a row in August, so the data got scrambled.” Naomahou (China) max. 46.2°C, July 3Dingxin (China) max. 41.1°C, July 3Urad Banner (China) max. 40.1°C, July 3Turpan (China) max. 49.1°C, July 4Shanshan (China) max. 47.0°C, July 4Yuli (China) max. 44.1°C, July 4Luntai (China) max. 42.5°C, July 4Yanqi (China) max. 39.3°C, July 4Baluntai (China) max. 34.7°C, July 4Mazongshan (China) max. 36.7°C, July 4Atlantic City (New Jersey, USA) max. 41.1°C, July 4Langley (Virginia, USA), max. 41.1°C, July 4Hami (China) max. 45.1°C, July 5Wushi (China) max. 37.9°C, July 5Weixi (China) max. 31.8°C, July 5Mozhugongka (China) max. 28.6°C, July 5Tondi (India) max. 40.7°C, July 6Wenxian (China) max. 39.9°C, July 7Canet-en-Roussillon (France) max. 41.4°C, July 8Sete (France) max. 41.0°C, July 8Marignane (France) max. 40.5°C, July 8Torreiles (France) max. 40.2°C, July 8Barcelona Observatory (Spain) max. 40.9°C, July 8Barcelona Airport (Spain) max. 37.7°C, July 8Reus (Spain) max. 40.3°C, July 8Bric della Croce (Italy) max. 37.6°C, July 8Fitou (France) max. 42.4°C, July 9Matei Airfield (Fiji) min. 14.5°C, July 10Shantou (China) max. 38.9°C, July 11Guangning (China) max. 39.5°C, July 12Valentia (Ireland) max. 30.0°C, July 12Miles City (Montana, USA) max. 46.1°C, July 12Laurel (Montana, USA) max. 43.9°C, July 12Sidney (Montana, USA) max. 44.4°C, July 12Baker (Montana, USA) max. 43.3°C, July 12Bozeman (Montana, USA) max. 41.1°C, July 12Circle (Montana, USA) max. 44.4°C, July 12Billings Airport (Montana, USA) max. 43.9°C, July 12Salt Lake City (Utah, USA) max. 42.8°C, July 12Brigham City (Utah, USA) max. 41.1°C, July 12Logan (Utah, USA) max. 40.6°C, July 12Worland (Wyoming, USA) max. 43.3°C, July 12Cody (Wyoming, USA) max. 41.1°C, July 12Idaho Falls (Idaho, USA) max. 39.4°C, July 12Omidieh (Iran) max. 52.7°C, July 14Tomi (Japan) max. 33.8°C, July 15Evenstad (Norway) max. 33.3°C, July 15Tveitsund (Norway) max. 32.5°C, July 15Vest Torpa (Norway) max. 31.0°C, July 15Venabu (Norway) max. 28.3°C, July 15Skabu (Norway) max. 28.4°C, July 16Dagali (Norway) max. 31.4°C, July 16Loken I Volbu (Norway) max. 32.3°C, July 16Geilo (Norway) max. 29.4°C, July 16Tizi Ouzou (Algeria) max. 48.1°C, July 16Zaghouan (Tunisia) max. 48.6°C, July 17Cagliari (Italy) max. 45.2°C, July 17Buzaubaj (Uzbekistan) max. 48.7°C, July 17Pap (Uzbekistan) max. 43.0°C, July 17Uchkuduk (Uzbekistan) max. 49.7°C, July 18Syrdaja (Uzbekistan) max. 44.6°C, July 18Payshanba (Uzbekistan) max. 43.5°C, July 18Shahrisabz (Uzbekistan) max. 44.9°C, July 18Namangan (Uzbekistan) max. 44.2°C, July 18Buhara (Uzbekistan) max. 46.9°C, July 19Navoi (Uzbekistan) max. 46.5°C, July 19Nurafshon (Uzbekistan) max. 44.0°C, July 19Dustlik (Uzbekistan) max. 44.8°C, July 19Arnasay (Uzbekistan) max. 46.6°C, July 19Sariosiyo (Uzbekistan) max. 43.8°C, July 19Andijan (Uzbekistan) max. 43.0°C, July 19Fergana (Uzbekistan) max. 43.9°C, July 19Kuva (Uzbekistan) max. 42.5°C, July 19Samarkhand (Uzbekistan) max. 43.6°C, July 19Dzizak (Uzbekistan) max. 43.9°C, July 19Jangy Jer (Kyrgyzstan) max. 44.6, July 19: New national record high for KyrgyzstanBishkek (Kyrgyzstan) max. 43.5°C, July 19Pendzhikent (Tajikistan) max. 42.5°C, July 19Turkmenbat (Turkmenistan) max. 47.8°C, July 19Atamyrat (Turkmenistan) max. 48.6°C, July 19Shymkent (Kazakhstan) max. 45.2°C, July 19Shardara (Kazakhstan) max. 48.5°C, July 19Tole Bi (Kazakhstan) max. 46.5°C, July 19Huocheng (China) max. 41.9°C, July 19Jiange (China) max. 40.5°C, July 19Horgos (China) max. 42.1°C, July 20Lueyang (China) max. 41.4°C, July 20Yining (China) max. 40.9°C, July 20Chabuchar (China) max. 40.7°C, July 20Nileke (China) max. 38.1°C, July 20Tekes (China) max. 37.7°C, July 20Kelibia (Tunisia) max. 43.7°C, July 20Miyanomae (Japan) max. 33.7°C, July 21Hachiman (Japan) max. 40.0°C, July 21Kameyama (Japan) max. 38.5°C, July 21Turpan Dongkan (China) max. 49.8°C, July 21Alaer (China) max. 40.9°C, July 21Mushi (China) max. 33.5°C, July 21Tianchi (China) max. 32.7°C, July 21Yenbo (Saudi Arabia) max. 51.0°C, July 21El Calafate (Argentina) min. -17.6°C, July 22Fengxian (China) max. 37.7°C, July 22Gafsa (Tunisia) max. 47.3°C, July 23Kiso Fukushima (Japan) max. 36.6°C, July 23Ina (Japan) max. 38.3°C, July 23Iijima (Japan) max. 37.3°C, July 23Iida (Japan) max. 38.4°C, July 23Namiai (Japan) max. 34.5°C, July 23Sakuma (Japan) max. 41.1°C, July 23Inabu (Japan) max. 35.6°C, July 23Toyota (Japan) max. 40.8°C, July 23Minokamo (Japan) max. 39.8°C, July 23Hari (Japan) max. 36.2°C, July 23Renshou (China) max. 41.9°C, July 23Kuwana (Japan) max. 40.8°C, July 24Hagiwara (Japan) max. 38.8 °C, July 24Nimi (Japan) max. 37.1°C, July 24Tateyama (Japan) max. 36.8°C, July 25Nirasaki (Japan) max. 38.7°C, July 25Ena (Japan) max. 38.9°C, July 25Kiriishi (Japan) max. 39.7°C, July 25Minamise (Japan) max. 39.1°C, July 25Kyotanabe (Japan) max. 39.3°C, July 25Kamikitayama (Japan) max.39.6°C, July 25Mount Koya (Japan) max. 34.6°C, July 25Kagoshima (Japan) max. 37.8°C, July 25Kiire (Japan) max. 38.1°C, July 25Ibusuki (Japan) max. 37.1°C, July 25Nagiso (Japan) max. 36.3°C, July 25Okazaki (Japan) max. 39.8°C, July 25Obata (Japan) max. 39.1°C, July 25Linze (China) max. 39.2°C, July 25Bayanhongor (Mongolia) max. 34.7°C, July 25Rapid City (South Dakota, USA) max. 44.4°C, July 25Raymer (Colorado, USA) max. 41.1°C, July 26Trinidad (Colorado, USA) max. 38.9°C, July 26Fuchu (Japan) max. 39.3°C, July 26Hofu (Japan) max. 38.1°C, July 26Touggourt (Algeria) max. 50.6°C, July 26Chichijima (Japan) max. 34.4°C, July 27Akiyoshidai (Japan) max. 36.1°C, July 27Shimonoseki Toyota (Japan) max. 37.1°C, July 27Soeda (Japan) max. 38.1°C, July 27Akasura (Japan) max. 39.2°C, July 27Bungo Takada (Japan) max. 37.8°C, July 27Kahoku (Japan) max. 37.7°C, July 27Hitoyoshi (Japan) max. 38.5°C, July 27Takachino (Japan) max. 37.6°C, July 27Ookuchi (Japan) max. 38.3°C, July 27Kimotsuki Maeda (Japan) max. 38.7°C, July 27Otake (Japan) max. 38.4°C, July 28Hiketa (Japan) max. 38.9°C, July 28Saga (Japan) max. 40.7°C, July 28Ume (Japan) max. 38.5°C, July 28Miyazaki (Japan) max. 38.8°C, July 28Petrun (Russia) max. 35.4°C, July 28Changjon (North Korea) max. 38.4°C, July 29Pusan (South Korea) max. 38.8°C, July 29Maumusson (France) max. 42.2°C, July 29Tournay (France) max. 41.5°C, July 29Tarbes (France) max. 40.2°C, July 29Motoyama (Japan) max. 38.7°C, July 30Shibushi (Japan) max. 37.2°C, July 30Kushima (Japan) max. 38.0°C, July 30Honikwa (Japan) max. 37.0°C, July 30Oodochi (Japan) max. 38.7°C, July 30Geishouse (France) max. 37.2°C, July 30Balzers (Liechtenstein) max. 38.2°C, July 30: New national record high for LiechtensteinBasel (Switzerland) max. 39.7°C, July 30Buchs (Switzerland) max. 38.6°C, July 30Zurich Airport (Switzerland) max. 38.3°C, July 30Zurich Reckenholtz (Switzerland) max. 37.3°C, July 30Schaffausen (Switzerland) max. 37.9°C, July 30Cham (Switzerland) max. 36.8°C, July 30Tanikon (Switzerland) max. 36.8°C, July 30Wadenswill (Switzerland) max. 36.4°C, July 30Giswill (Switzerland) max. 36.0°C, July 30Glarus (Switzerland) max. 35.7°C, July 30Ebnat (Switzerland) max. 35.6°C, July 30Lagern (Switzerland) max. 33.5°C, July 30Andermatt (Switzerland) max. 30.1°C, July 30Kufstein (Austria) max. 37.0°C, July 30Wolfsegg (Austria) max. 35.1°C, July 30Usti nad Labem (Czech Republic) max. 37.7°C, July 30Ohlsbach (Germany) max. 40.2°C, July 30Rheinfelden (Germany) max. 40.0°C, July 30Würzburg (Germany) max. 39.9°C, July 30Ellwangen (Germany) max. 38.4°C, July 30Altomünster (Germany) max. 37.1°C, July 30Harzgerode (Germany) max. 36.3°C, July 30Hiddensee (Germany) max. 35.8°C, July 30Stotten (Germany) max. 34.9°C, July 30Kleiner Feldberg (Germany) max. 34.5°C, July 30Wasserkuppe (Germany) max. 33.3°C, July 30Griben (Denmark) max. 31.6°C, July 30Jinju (South Korea) max. 39.0°C, July 31Geochang (South Korea) max. 38.1°C, July 31Budejovice (Czech Republic) max. 39.0°C, July 31Prostejov (Czech Republic) max. 37.5°C, July 31Kroměříž(Czech Republic) max. 37.8°C, July 31Amstetten (Austria) max. 39.9°C, July 31Ranshofen (Austria) max. 39.0°C, July 31Kremsmuenster (Austria) max. 38.7°C, July 31Linz Airport (Austria) max. 38.7°C, July 31Linz (Austria) max. 38.5°C, July 31Zwettl (Austria) max. 37.8°C, July 31Windischgarsten (Austria) max. 37.7°C, July 31Saint Wolfgang (Austria) max. 37.6°C, July 31Mondsee (Austria) max. 37.2°C, July 31Ried Im Innkreis (Austria) max. 36.4°C, July 31Lunz (Austria) max. 36.3°C, July 31Mattsee (Austria) max. 36.0°C, July 31Rohrback (Austria) max. 35.0°C, July 31Jauerling (Austria) max. 33.9°C, July 31Saltzburg Airport (Austria) 37.9°C, July 31Wels (Austria) 38.8°C, July 31Weyer (Austria) 39.6°C, July 31Skocjan (Slovenia) max. 38.9 °C, July 31Idrija (Slovenia) max. 38.4°C, July 31Vedrijan (Slovenia) max. 38.4°C, July 31Koseze (Slovenia) max. 37.7°C, July 31Cerkniško Jezero (Slovenia) max. 36.8°C, July 31Zadlog (Slovenia) max. 35.1°C, July 31Bukovski Vrh (Slovenia) max. 33.5°C, July 31Slavnik (Slovenia) max. 33.0°C, July 31Zgornja Sorica (Slovenia) max. 32.7°C, July 31Otlica (Slovenia) max. 32.6°C, July 31Sviscaki (Slovenia) max. 32.0°C, July 31Predel (Slovenia) max. 29.7°C, July 31Postojna (Slovenia) max. 36.7°C, July 31Camaguey (Cuba) max. 38.8°C, July 31East Wareham (Massachusetts, USA) max. 38.9°C, July 4Alta (Wyoming, USA) max. 36.7°C, July 12Buffalo Bill Dam (Wyoming, USA) max. 41.7°C, July 12Thermopolis (Wyoming, USA) max. 42.8°C, July 12Deaver (Wyoming, USA) max. 42.8°C, July 13Medicine Bow (Wyoming, USA) max. 36.7°C, July 13Moran (Wyoming, USA) max. 34.4°C, July 13Riverton (Wyoming, USA) max. 41.1°C, July 13Farson (Wyoming, USA) max. 40.6°C, July 14Bridger (Montana, USA) max. 44.4°C, July 13Huntley (Montana, USA) max. 43.3°C, July 13Mystic Lake (Montana, USA) max. 35.0°C, July 13Ryegate (Montana, USA) max. 43.3°C, July 13Terry (Montana ,USA) max. 45.0°C, July 13Pineview Dam (Utah, USA) max. 40.0°C, July 13Provo (Utah, USA) max. 40.6°C, July 12Grand Portage (Minnesota, USA) max. 36.1°C, July 15Burlington (Colorado, USA) max. 45.0°C, July 27Sargents (Colorado, USA) max. 36.1°C, July 27Richfield (Kansas, USA) max. 44.4°C, July 27Russell Springs (Kansas, USA) max. 46.7°C, July 27 Hemispherical and continental temperature records of 2026 Lowest May temperature in global history: -76.4°C (-105.5°F) at Vostok, Antarctica, May 25. Highest June temperature and highest June minimum temperature in Antarctic history: +15.4°C (59.7°F) and +6°C (42.8°F) at Esperanza, June 5. Bob Henson and Irene Sans contributed to this post Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license. Jeff Masters, Ph.D., worked as a hurricane scientist with the NOAA Hurricane Hunters from 1986-1990. After a near-fatal flight into category 5 Hurricane Hugo, he left the Hurricane Hunters to pursue a... More by Jeff Masters