Earth sees second-warmest June on record

The globe is experiencing its second-warmest June on record in 2026, while the global ocean surface temperature reached a record high for the month, according to an analysis released Thursday by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The report, issued by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), also found that both the Arctic and Antarctic recorded June sea ice extents ranking among their respective 10 lowest on record, while global tropical cyclone activity was above average.

Global surface temperatures in June were 1.09 degrees Celsius above the 20th-century average, making it the second-warmest June on record, trailing only 2024, the report said.

Warmer-than-average conditions prevailed across much of the world during the month, with several continents and regions recording one of their 10 warmest Junes on record.

The report said global sea ice extent was the fourth smallest for June in the 48-year satellite record, covering 22.7 million square kilometers, about 2.02 million square kilometers less than the 1991-2020 average.

Looking at the year to date, the January-June global surface temperature was the third-highest on record. According to NCEI's Global Annual Temperature Outlook, it is very likely that 2026 will rank among the five-warmest years on record.