Home/BlogThe Version 6.1 global average lower tropospheric temperature (LT) anomaly for August, 2026 was +0.68 deg. C departure from the 1991-2020 mean, up from the July, 2026 value of +0.48 deg. C. It appears the effects of the strengthening major El Nino event are beginning to appear in the global average tropospheric temperature, with an August temperature anomaly of +0.9 deg. C. This month I’ve added a plot of tropical temperatures (below).
The Version 6.1 global area-averaged linear temperature trend (January 1979 through August 2026) remains at +0.16 deg/ C/decade (+0.22 C/decade over land, +0.13 C/decade over oceans).
The following table lists various regional Version 6.1 LT departures from the 30-year (1991-2020) average for the last 32 months (record highs are in red).
| Year | Mon | Globe | NHem | SHem | Tropic | US48 | Arctic | Aust. | Can. |
| 2024 | Jan | +0.80 | +1.02 | +0.57 | +1.20 | -0.19 | +0.40 | +1.12 | +0.97 |
| 2024 | Feb | +0.88 | +0.94 | +0.81 | +1.16 | +1.31 | +0.85 | +1.16 | +2.45 |
| 2024 | Mar | +0.88 | +0.96 | +0.80 | +1.25 | +0.22 | +1.05 | +1.34 | +1.12 |
| 2024 | Apr | +0.94 | +1.12 | +0.76 | +1.15 | +0.86 | +0.88 | +0.54 | +1.39 |
| 2024 | May | +0.77 | +0.77 | +0.78 | +1.20 | +0.04 | +0.20 | +0.52 | +0.67 |
| 2024 | June | +0.69 | +0.78 | +0.60 | +0.85 | +1.36 | +0.63 | +0.91 | +0.19 |
| 2024 | July | +0.73 | +0.86 | +0.61 | +0.96 | +0.44 | +0.56 | -0.07 | +1.15 |
| 2024 | Aug | +0.75 | +0.81 | +0.69 | +0.74 | +0.40 | +0.88 | +1.75 | +1.36 |
| 2024 | Sep | +0.81 | +1.04 | +0.58 | +0.82 | +1.31 | +1.48 | +0.98 | |
| 2024 | Oct | +0.75 | +0.89 | +0.60 | +0.63 | +1.89 | +0.81 | +1.09 | +0.89 |
| 2024 | Nov | +0.64 | +0.87 | +0.40 | +0.53 | +1.11 | +0.79 | +1.00 | +1.61 |
| 2024 | Dec | +0.61 | +0.75 | +0.47 | +0.52 | +1.41 | +1.12 | +1.54 | +1.65 |
| 2025 | Jan | +0.45 | +0.70 | +0.21 | +0.24 | -1.07 | +0.74 | +0.48 | +1.04 |
| 2025 | Feb | +0.50 | +0.55 | +0.45 | +0.26 | +1.03 | +2.10 | +0.87 | -0.35 |
| 2025 | Mar | +0.57 | +0.73 | +0.41 | +0.40 | +1.24 | +1.23 | +1.20 | +0.80 |
| 2025 | Apr | +0.61 | +0.76 | +0.46 | +0.36 | +0.81 | +0.85 | +1.21 | +0.45 |
| 2025 | May | +0.50 | +0.45 | +0.55 | +0.30 | +0.15 | +0.75 | +0.98 | +0.81 |
| 2025 | June | +0.48 | +0.48 | +0.47 | +0.30 | +0.80 | +0.05 | +0.39 | -0.22 |
| 2025 | July | +0.36 | +0.49 | +0.23 | +0.45 | +0.32 | +0.40 | +0.53 | -0.23 |
| 2025 | Aug | +0.39 | +0.39 | +0.39 | +0.16 | -0.06 | +0.82 | +0.11 | +0.62 |
| 2025 | Sep | +0.53 | +0.56 | +0.49 | +0.35 | +0.38 | +0.77 | +0.30 | +2.44 |
| 2025 | Oct | +0.53 | +0.52 | +0.55 | +0.24 | +1.12 | +1.42 | +1.67 | +2.59 |
| 2025 | Nov | +0.43 | +0.59 | +0.27 | +0.24 | +1.32 | +0.78 | +0.36 | +1.47 |
| 2025 | Dec | +0.30 | +0.45 | +0.15 | +0.19 | +2.10 | +0.32 | +0.37 | -1.86 |
| 2026 | Jan | +0.35 | +0.51 | +0.19 | +0.09 | +0.30 | +1.40 | +0.95 | +1.17 |
| 2026 | Feb | +0.39 | +0.54 | +0.23 | +0.03 | +1.91 | -0.48 | +0.73 | +0.32 |
| 2026 | Mar | +0.38 | +0.33 | +0.42 | +0.07 | +3.74 | -0.48 | +1.14 | -3.17 |
| 2026 | Apr | +0.39 | +0.43 | +0.34 | +0.23 | +1.20 | +0.30 | +0.70 | -0.89 |
| 2026 | May | +0.53 | +0.46 | +0.60 | +0.58 | +0.21 | +0.34 | +0.10 | +0.21 |
| 2026 | June | +0.46 | +0.54 | +0.38 | +0.57 | +0.64 | +1.01 | +0.38 | +0.99 |
| 2026 | July | +0.48 | +0.68 | +0.27 | +0.85 | +1.14 | +0.53 | -0.22 | +0.78 |
| 2026 | August | +0.68 | +0.76 | +0.59 | +0.90 | +0.60 | +0.80 | +0.39 | +0.71 |
| Year | Mon | Globe | NHem | SHem | Tropic | US48 | Arctic | Aust. | Can. |
Time Series Plots for Tropics, USA48, Canada, and Australia
The full UAH Global Temperature Report, along with the LT global gridpoint anomaly map for August, 2026 and a more detailed analysis by John Christy, should be available within the next several days here. John officially retired with emeritus professor status on July 1, 2026, and is now working as a part-time employee of UAH.
The monthly anomalies for various regions for the four deep layers we monitor from satellites will be available in the next several days at the following locations:
+0.86C relative to the 1979-1998 baseline:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/11HJHA2cWp41Oqj52q0igkxCJu58ALKCF/view?usp=sharing
As always, thank you, Dr. Spencer. Goes without saying.
And so the short-term and the long term lines continue to go up, the long term ever faster, while egos contend in the comments section and earthlings hurtle themselves–and more fuel–into the pit of fire. The arbitrary 1.5C+ limit is no longer sustainable; 2.0+ here we come.
If today is the 2nd of September, a Tuesday, then that reminds that [us] the monthly UAH – Lower-Troposphere (satellite) report may be published.
Checking DrRoySpencer.com‘s page, [we] quote therefrom —
“the effects of the strengthening major El Nino event are beginning to appear in the global average tropospheric temperature [GATT], with August’s [deviation at] +0.9* deg. C (from ’91-2020 mean)
As foretold (by SSTs & oceanic heat indices), we seem set to revisit the late-’23, but starting from a higher apparent baseline.”
— the Whet-Stone
*Evidently, this refers to the Equatorial-Tropics Zone, lying within ±23.5 (or is it ±30) N/S.
Second warmest August
1 2024 0.75
2 2026 0.68
3 2023 0.61
4 1998 0.39
5 2025 0.39
6 2016 0.32
7 2020 0.30
8 2017 0.29
9 2019 0.25
10 2022 0.24
Looking likely that 2026 will finish close to 2025 for annual average. Probably 2nd or 3rd warmest year on record.