February 2026 fifth warmest on record globally: Copernicus

“The extreme events of February 2026 highlight the growing impacts of climate change and the pressing need for global action. With global temperatures reaching 1.49°C above pre-industrial levels – the fifth-warmest February on record – Europe experienced stark temperature contrasts. Exceptional atmospheric rivers — narrow bands of very moist air – brought record rainfall and widespread flooding to western and southern Europe, while Arctic sea ice extent ranked as the third lowest for the month,” the statement quoted Samantha Burgess, Strategic Lead for Climate at ECMWF.  

High air and sea surface temperatures

The average surface air temperature in February 2026 was 13.26°C, 0.53°C above the 1991-2020 average for the month. The warmest February on record was in 2024.

“February 2026 was 1.49°C above the estimated 1850-1900 average used to define the pre-industrial level, according to the ERA5 dataset,” noted the statement.

The average temperature over European land for February 2026 was one of the three coldest in the past 14 years at -0.07°C, 0.10°C below the 1991-2020 average for February.

However, as the statement added, there was a strong contrast in average temperature across Europe, with western, southern and southeast Europe experiencing above-average temperatures, while Fennoscandia, the Baltic States, and northwest Russia had cold conditions.