July 2026 ties with July 2024 as Earth’s hottest month on record » Yale Climate Connections

by Jeff Masters, Yale Climate Connections
August 11, 2026

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.

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 29
Jersey (UK territory): 39.3°C (102.6°F) at Maison St. Louis, June 25
Guernsey (UK territory): 36.4°C (97.5°F) at Rocquaine Bay, June 25
Luxembourg: 40.9°C (105.6°F) at Reckange, June 26
Denmark: 37.0°C (98.6°F) at Odum and Odense, June 27
Germany: 41.8°C (107.2°F) at Mockern-Drewitz, June 27
Czech Republic: 41.9°C (107.4°F) at Doksany, June 28
Poland: 40.5°C (104.9°F)at Slubice, June 28
Belarus: 40.4°C (104.7°F)at Pinsk, June 29
Slovakia: 41.3°C (106.3°F)at Kamenice nad Hronom, June 30
Hungary: 42.0°C (107.6°F) at Szecseny, June 30
Uzbekistan: 49.7°C (121.5°F) at Achkuduk, July 18 (tie)
Kyrgyzstan: 44.6°C (112.3°F) at Jangy Jer, July 19
Switzerland: 39.7°C (103.5°F) at  Basel, July 30 (tie)
Liechtenstein: 38.2°C (100.8°F) at Balzers, July 30
South 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 3
Dingxin (China) max. 41.1°C, July 3
Urad Banner (China) max. 40.1°C, July 3
Turpan (China) max. 49.1°C, July 4
Shanshan (China) max. 47.0°C, July 4
Yuli (China) max. 44.1°C, July 4
Luntai (China) max. 42.5°C, July 4
Yanqi (China) max. 39.3°C, July 4
Baluntai (China) max. 34.7°C, July 4
Mazongshan (China) max. 36.7°C, July 4
Atlantic City (New Jersey, USA) max. 41.1°C, July 4
Langley (Virginia, USA), max. 41.1°C, July 4
Hami (China) max. 45.1°C, July 5
Wushi (China) max. 37.9°C, July 5
Weixi (China) max. 31.8°C, July 5
Mozhugongka (China) max. 28.6°C, July 5
Tondi (India) max. 40.7°C, July 6
Wenxian (China) max. 39.9°C, July 7
Canet-en-Roussillon (France) max. 41.4°C, July 8
Sete (France) max. 41.0°C, July 8
Marignane (France) max. 40.5°C, July 8
Torreiles (France) max. 40.2°C, July 8
Barcelona Observatory (Spain) max. 40.9°C, July 8
Barcelona Airport (Spain) max. 37.7°C, July 8
Reus (Spain) max. 40.3°C, July 8
Bric della Croce (Italy) max. 37.6°C, July 8
Fitou (France) max. 42.4°C, July 9
Matei Airfield (Fiji) min. 14.5°C, July 10
Shantou (China) max. 38.9°C, July 11
Guangning (China) max. 39.5°C, July 12
Valentia (Ireland) max. 30.0°C, July 12
Miles City (Montana, USA) max. 46.1°C, July 12
Laurel (Montana, USA) max. 43.9°C, July 12
Sidney (Montana, USA) max. 44.4°C, July 12
Baker (Montana, USA) max. 43.3°C, July 12
Bozeman (Montana, USA) max. 41.1°C, July 12
Circle (Montana, USA) max. 44.4°C, July 12
Billings Airport (Montana, USA) max. 43.9°C, July 12
Salt Lake City (Utah, USA) max. 42.8°C, July 12
Brigham City (Utah, USA) max. 41.1°C, July 12
Logan (Utah, USA) max. 40.6°C, July 12
Worland (Wyoming, USA) max. 43.3°C, July 12
Cody (Wyoming, USA) max. 41.1°C, July 12
Idaho Falls (Idaho, USA) max. 39.4°C, July 12
Omidieh (Iran) max. 52.7°C, July 14
Tomi (Japan) max. 33.8°C, July 15
Evenstad (Norway) max. 33.3°C, July 15
Tveitsund (Norway) max. 32.5°C, July 15
Vest Torpa (Norway) max. 31.0°C, July 15
Venabu (Norway) max. 28.3°C, July 15
Skabu (Norway) max. 28.4°C, July 16
Dagali (Norway) max. 31.4°C, July 16
Loken I Volbu (Norway) max. 32.3°C, July 16
Geilo (Norway) max. 29.4°C, July 16
Tizi Ouzou (Algeria) max. 48.1°C, July 16
Zaghouan (Tunisia) max. 48.6°C, July 17
Cagliari (Italy) max. 45.2°C, July 17
Buzaubaj (Uzbekistan) max. 48.7°C, July 17
Pap (Uzbekistan) max. 43.0°C, July 17
Uchkuduk (Uzbekistan) max. 49.7°C, July 18
Syrdaja (Uzbekistan) max. 44.6°C, July 18
Payshanba (Uzbekistan) max. 43.5°C, July 18
Shahrisabz (Uzbekistan) max. 44.9°C, July 18
Namangan (Uzbekistan) max. 44.2°C, July 18
Buhara (Uzbekistan) max. 46.9°C, July 19
Navoi (Uzbekistan) max. 46.5°C, July 19
Nurafshon (Uzbekistan) max. 44.0°C, July 19
Dustlik (Uzbekistan) max. 44.8°C, July 19
Arnasay (Uzbekistan) max. 46.6°C, July 19
Sariosiyo (Uzbekistan) max. 43.8°C, July 19
Andijan (Uzbekistan) max. 43.0°C, July 19
Fergana (Uzbekistan) max. 43.9°C, July 19
Kuva (Uzbekistan) max. 42.5°C, July 19
Samarkhand (Uzbekistan) max. 43.6°C, July 19
Dzizak (Uzbekistan) max. 43.9°C, July 19
Jangy Jer (Kyrgyzstan) max. 44.6, July 19: New national record high for Kyrgyzstan
Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) max. 43.5°C, July 19
Pendzhikent (Tajikistan) max. 42.5°C, July 19
Turkmenbat (Turkmenistan) max. 47.8°C, July 19
Atamyrat (Turkmenistan) max. 48.6°C, July 19
Shymkent (Kazakhstan) max. 45.2°C, July 19
Shardara (Kazakhstan) max. 48.5°C, July 19
Tole Bi (Kazakhstan) max. 46.5°C, July 19
Huocheng (China) max. 41.9°C, July 19
Jiange (China) max. 40.5°C, July 19
Horgos (China) max. 42.1°C, July 20
Lueyang (China) max. 41.4°C, July 20
Yining (China) max. 40.9°C, July 20
Chabuchar (China) max. 40.7°C, July 20
Nileke (China) max. 38.1°C, July 20
Tekes (China) max. 37.7°C, July 20
Kelibia (Tunisia) max. 43.7°C, July 20
Miyanomae (Japan) max. 33.7°C, July 21
Hachiman (Japan) max. 40.0°C, July 21
Kameyama (Japan) max. 38.5°C, July 21
Turpan Dongkan (China) max. 49.8°C, July 21
Alaer (China) max. 40.9°C, July 21
Mushi (China) max. 33.5°C, July 21
Tianchi (China) max. 32.7°C, July 21
Yenbo (Saudi Arabia) max. 51.0°C, July 21
El Calafate (Argentina) min. -17.6°C, July 22
Fengxian (China) max. 37.7°C, July 22
Gafsa (Tunisia) max. 47.3°C, July 23
Kiso Fukushima (Japan) max. 36.6°C, July 23
Ina (Japan) max. 38.3°C, July 23
Iijima (Japan) max. 37.3°C, July 23
Iida (Japan) max. 38.4°C, July 23
Namiai (Japan) max. 34.5°C, July 23
Sakuma (Japan) max. 41.1°C, July 23
Inabu (Japan) max. 35.6°C, July 23
Toyota (Japan) max. 40.8°C, July 23
Minokamo (Japan) max. 39.8°C, July 23
Hari (Japan) max. 36.2°C, July 23
Renshou (China) max. 41.9°C, July 23
Kuwana (Japan) max. 40.8°C, July 24
Hagiwara (Japan) max. 38.8 °C, July 24
Nimi (Japan) max. 37.1°C, July 24
Tateyama (Japan) max. 36.8°C, July 25
Nirasaki (Japan) max. 38.7°C, July 25
Ena (Japan) max. 38.9°C, July 25
Kiriishi (Japan) max. 39.7°C, July 25
Minamise (Japan) max. 39.1°C, July 25
Kyotanabe (Japan) max. 39.3°C, July 25
Kamikitayama (Japan) max.39.6°C, July 25
Mount Koya (Japan) max. 34.6°C, July 25
Kagoshima (Japan) max. 37.8°C, July 25
Kiire (Japan) max. 38.1°C, July 25
Ibusuki (Japan) max. 37.1°C, July 25
Nagiso (Japan) max. 36.3°C, July 25
Okazaki (Japan) max. 39.8°C, July 25
Obata (Japan) max. 39.1°C, July 25
Linze (China) max. 39.2°C, July 25
Bayanhongor (Mongolia) max. 34.7°C, July 25
Rapid City (South Dakota, USA) max. 44.4°C, July 25
Raymer (Colorado, USA) max. 41.1°C, July 26
Trinidad (Colorado, USA) max. 38.9°C, July 26
Fuchu (Japan) max. 39.3°C, July 26
Hofu (Japan) max. 38.1°C, July 26
Touggourt (Algeria) max. 50.6°C, July 26
Chichijima (Japan) max. 34.4°C, July 27
Akiyoshidai (Japan) max. 36.1°C, July 27
Shimonoseki Toyota (Japan) max. 37.1°C, July 27
Soeda (Japan) max. 38.1°C, July 27
Akasura (Japan) max. 39.2°C, July 27
Bungo Takada (Japan) max. 37.8°C, July 27
Kahoku (Japan) max. 37.7°C, July 27
Hitoyoshi (Japan) max. 38.5°C, July 27
Takachino (Japan) max. 37.6°C, July 27
Ookuchi (Japan) max. 38.3°C, July 27
Kimotsuki Maeda (Japan) max. 38.7°C, July 27
Otake  (Japan) max. 38.4°C, July 28
Hiketa  (Japan) max. 38.9°C, July 28
Saga  (Japan) max. 40.7°C, July 28
Ume  (Japan) max. 38.5°C, July 28
Miyazaki  (Japan) max. 38.8°C, July 28
Petrun (Russia) max. 35.4°C, July 28
Changjon (North Korea) max. 38.4°C, July 29
Pusan (South Korea) max. 38.8°C, July 29
Maumusson (France) max. 42.2°C, July 29
Tournay (France) max. 41.5°C, July 29
Tarbes (France) max. 40.2°C, July 29
Motoyama  (Japan) max. 38.7°C, July 30
Shibushi (Japan) max. 37.2°C, July 30
Kushima (Japan) max. 38.0°C, July 30
Honikwa (Japan) max. 37.0°C, July 30
Oodochi (Japan) max. 38.7°C, July 30
Geishouse (France) max. 37.2°C, July 30
Balzers (Liechtenstein) max. 38.2°C, July 30: New national record high for Liechtenstein
Basel (Switzerland) max. 39.7°C, July 30
Buchs (Switzerland) max. 38.6°C, July 30
Zurich Airport (Switzerland) max. 38.3°C, July 30
Zurich Reckenholtz (Switzerland) max. 37.3°C, July 30
Schaffausen (Switzerland) max. 37.9°C, July 30
Cham (Switzerland) max. 36.8°C, July 30
Tanikon (Switzerland) max. 36.8°C, July 30
Wadenswill (Switzerland) max. 36.4°C, July 30
Giswill (Switzerland) max. 36.0°C, July 30
Glarus (Switzerland) max. 35.7°C, July 30
Ebnat (Switzerland) max. 35.6°C, July 30
Lagern (Switzerland) max. 33.5°C, July 30
Andermatt (Switzerland) max. 30.1°C, July 30
Kufstein (Austria) max. 37.0°C, July 30
Wolfsegg (Austria) max. 35.1°C, July 30
Usti nad Labem (Czech Republic) max. 37.7°C, July 30
Ohlsbach (Germany) max. 40.2°C, July 30
Rheinfelden (Germany) max. 40.0°C, July 30
Würzburg (Germany) max. 39.9°C, July 30
Ellwangen (Germany) max. 38.4°C, July 30
Altomünster (Germany) max. 37.1°C, July 30
Harzgerode (Germany) max. 36.3°C, July 30
Hiddensee (Germany) max. 35.8°C, July 30
Stotten (Germany) max. 34.9°C, July 30
Kleiner Feldberg (Germany) max. 34.5°C, July 30
Wasserkuppe (Germany) max. 33.3°C, July 30
Griben (Denmark) max. 31.6°C, July 30
Jinju (South Korea) max. 39.0°C, July 31
Geochang (South Korea) max. 38.1°C, July 31
Budejovice (Czech Republic) max. 39.0°C, July 31
Prostejov (Czech Republic) max. 37.5°C, July 31
Kroměříž(Czech Republic) max. 37.8°C, July 31
Amstetten (Austria) max. 39.9°C, July 31
Ranshofen (Austria) max. 39.0°C, July 31
Kremsmuenster (Austria) max. 38.7°C, July 31
Linz Airport (Austria) max. 38.7°C, July 31
Linz (Austria) max. 38.5°C, July 31
Zwettl (Austria) max. 37.8°C, July 31
Windischgarsten (Austria) max. 37.7°C, July 31
Saint Wolfgang (Austria) max. 37.6°C, July 31
Mondsee (Austria) max. 37.2°C, July 31
Ried Im Innkreis (Austria) max. 36.4°C, July 31
Lunz (Austria) max. 36.3°C, July 31
Mattsee (Austria) max. 36.0°C, July 31
Rohrback (Austria) max. 35.0°C, July 31
Jauerling (Austria) max. 33.9°C, July 31
Saltzburg Airport (Austria) 37.9°C, July 31
Wels (Austria) 38.8°C, July 31
Weyer (Austria) 39.6°C, July 31
Skocjan (Slovenia) max. 38.9 °C, July 31
Idrija (Slovenia) max. 38.4°C, July 31
Vedrijan (Slovenia) max. 38.4°C, July 31
Koseze (Slovenia) max. 37.7°C, July 31
Cerkniško Jezero (Slovenia) max. 36.8°C, July 31
Zadlog (Slovenia) max. 35.1°C, July 31
Bukovski Vrh (Slovenia) max. 33.5°C, July 31
Slavnik (Slovenia) max. 33.0°C, July 31
Zgornja Sorica (Slovenia) max. 32.7°C, July 31
Otlica (Slovenia) max. 32.6°C, July 31
Sviscaki (Slovenia) max. 32.0°C, July 31
Predel (Slovenia) max. 29.7°C, July 31
Postojna (Slovenia) max. 36.7°C, July 31
Camaguey (Cuba) max. 38.8°C, July 31
East Wareham (Massachusetts, USA) max. 38.9°C, July 4
Alta (Wyoming, USA) max. 36.7°C, July 12
Buffalo Bill Dam (Wyoming, USA) max. 41.7°C, July 12
Thermopolis (Wyoming, USA) max. 42.8°C, July 12
Deaver (Wyoming, USA) max. 42.8°C, July 13
Medicine Bow (Wyoming, USA) max. 36.7°C, July 13
Moran (Wyoming, USA) max. 34.4°C, July 13
Riverton (Wyoming, USA) max. 41.1°C, July 13
Farson (Wyoming, USA) max. 40.6°C, July 14
Bridger (Montana, USA) max. 44.4°C, July 13
Huntley (Montana, USA) max. 43.3°C, July 13
Mystic Lake (Montana, USA) max. 35.0°C, July 13
Ryegate (Montana, USA) max. 43.3°C, July 13
Terry (Montana ,USA) max. 45.0°C, July 13
Pineview Dam (Utah, USA) max. 40.0°C, July 13
Provo (Utah, USA) max. 40.6°C, July 12
Grand Portage (Minnesota, USA) max. 36.1°C, July 15
Burlington (Colorado, USA) max. 45.0°C, July 27
Sargents (Colorado, USA) max. 36.1°C, July 27
Richfield (Kansas, USA) max. 44.4°C, July 27
Russell 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

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