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Copernicus Says February 2026 Was Fifth-Warmest Globally as Storms Drove Deadly Floods in Western Europe and North Africa

The EU climate service links the month’s anomalies to mounting climate impacts, citing exceptionally warm oceans alongside depleted Arctic ice.

Overview

  • Copernicus reports a global average air temperature of 13.26 °C for February, which is 0.53 °C above the 1991–2020 mean and 1.49 °C above the pre‑industrial level.
  • A series of intense late‑winter storms delivered exceptional rainfall and fatal flooding in France, Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
  • Europe’s land temperature averaged 0.07 °C below the 1991–2020 norm, with warmth in the west and south but colder conditions in Scandinavia, the Baltics and northwest Russia.
  • Sea‑surface temperatures between 60°S and 60°N averaged 20.88 °C, tying February 2025 for the second‑highest on record for the month.
  • Arctic sea‑ice extent was the third‑lowest for a February, with findings based on ERA5 reanalysis and extensive observations.