2026 almost certain to pass 1.5 degrees of warming after record-warm October

Last month was the warmest October ever recorded globally, and it is now almost certain that 2026 will exceed 1.5 degrees of warming. This is shown by the latest data from the European Earth observation program Copernicus. It means 2026 is set to become the second calendar year to surpass this symbolically important 1.5-degree limit. The previous time was in 2024.