EU Monitor: February 2026 Was the Fifth-Warmest February on Record

Overview

• Global temperatures in February 2026 were 1.49°C above the pre‑industrial baseline, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service.
• Sea surface temperatures reached the second-highest level ever recorded for February.
• Arctic sea-ice extent registered the third-lowest February on record, about 5% below the long-term average.
• Above-average warmth was observed in the United States, northeast Canada, the Middle East, Central Asia, Western Antarctica, and parts of Western, Southern, and Southeastern Europe, while cooler conditions prevailed in northwest Russia, the Baltic states, Finland, and nearby Scandinavia.
• Attribution scientists reported that human-driven climate change intensified torrential rains that killed dozens and displaced thousands in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco during January and February.