SNOW TV NEWS DESK
The world is heading towards another alarming climate milestone, with 2026 projected to become the second-hottest year ever recorded, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).
In its latest climate assessment released on Friday, November 6, Copernicus estimated an 80 percent probability that 2026 will rank as the second-warmest year since global temperature records began. There is also a 20 percent chance that temperatures could match or even surpass the previous record set in 2024.
Data from January to October already places 2026 as the second-warmest year on record over that period, with only 2024 recording higher temperatures.
The report also revealed that October 2026 was the hottest October ever documented. Global average surface air temperatures reached 15.35°C, approximately 0.90°C above the 1991–2020 average.
Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), which operates Copernicus, described the figures as another indication of the extraordinary warming currently taking place across the planet.
She explained that an exceptionally strong El Niño event is adding to the heat already being driven by human-induced climate change.
Copernicus projects that global average temperatures in 2026 could finish between 1.56°C and 1.61°C above pre-industrial levels. If confirmed, this would make 2026 only the second calendar year, after 2024, to record warming above the 1.5°C mark.
Scientists say the primary driver of this persistent warming remains human activity, particularly the continued burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas, which releases greenhouse gases that trap heat in the atmosphere.
Although El Niño is a naturally occurring climate phenomenon linked to warmer ocean temperatures in the tropical Pacific, it can intensify global heat and influence weather conditions in different parts of the world.
More concerning, Copernicus estimates that the average global temperature between 2023 and 2026 will exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, underscoring the growing urgency of efforts to tackle climate change.
The 1.5°C threshold is a key ambition of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, under which countries committed to limiting long-term global warming to well below 2°C while pursuing efforts to keep it within 1.5°C.
However, climate scientists stress that crossing 1.5°C in an individual year does not automatically mean the Paris Agreement’s long-term temperature goal has been permanently breached. That assessment is based on sustained warming over a longer period.
Nevertheless, the latest projections send a worrying message: the planet is warming faster than previously hoped, and without significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, the consequences for communities, ecosystems, food production, and weather patterns could become increasingly severe.
“Sir Bartholomew White Ebe is a Lagos-based media personality, Music Artist, Producer, and a Relationship Coach and independent journalist. With over seven years of experience tracking political developments and cultural shifts in Nigeria, he specializes in local current affairs, grassroots politics, and community-driven reporting across Lagos State. As the founder and chief editor of Snow Multimedia Connect {SNOW TV}, he leads the editorial team to deliver verified, high-impact stories to digital audiences.”
Email: snowmediaconnect@gmail.com
