2026 to be among the four hottest years on record: WMO

A significant report published by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on Monday warns that 2026 will be one of the four hottest years recorded in history. The previous three hottest years include 2023, 2024, and 2025. According to this United Nations weather agency, the global average temperature during the months of January to September was recorded at approximately 1.47 degrees Celsius higher than the pre-industrial average. The pre-industrial level refers to the global atmospheric state that existed before the widespread impact of industrialization, which does not include activities like the combustion of coal, oil, and gas.

The report clarifies that the statistical data for this year's average temperature is higher than the full-year averages of 2025 and 2023. However, compared to 2024, which has been the hottest year so far, the temperature of 2026 is slightly lower. At the beginning of the year, La Niña conditions prevailed, which created a temporary cooling effect. Generally, La Niña brings a reduction of 0.1 to 0.2 degrees Celsius in the global average temperature, depending on its intensity. But by June, as El Niño conditions developed, this cooling effect was neutralized. By the end of August, as the intensity of El Niño increased, an extraordinary rise in global temperatures was observed.

This year, during the south-west monsoon, many parts of India experienced a shortage of rainfall due to the impact of El Niño. El Niño is an increase in the surface temperature of the eastern and central Pacific Ocean, which occurs every few years and has a direct correlation with the reduction in rainfall in India. Due to this situation, states like Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh declared drought and announced special measures for water conservation. According to the report, these El Niño conditions are predicted to continue until the beginning of 2027.

World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Celeste Saulo stated, 'The ongoing El Niño is estimated to be one of the most powerful El Niños to date. The heat released from the ocean will continue to fuel high temperatures and extreme weather events until 2027.' This phenomenon increases the global average temperature by 0.1 to 0.2 degrees Celsius, so temperatures are likely to remain exceptionally high for the remainder of the year and into early 2027. The UN agency has also stated that the final temperature figures for 2026 could be even higher than the average recorded from January to September.

The report also mentions the severe heatwave situation that emerged in India. During the heatwave in April 2026, approximately 14.65 crore people in India were caught in the grip of extreme heat. These extreme weather events have severely impacted lives and livelihoods worldwide, jeopardizing food security, increasing poverty, and forcing people to migrate.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that works on the Earth's atmosphere, its interaction with the oceans, climate, and water resources. It is responsible for international cooperation in the field of meteorology and hydrology and plays a key role in preparing reports on global climate change.