Climate Hottest Year

FILE - Usually submerged areas of the Danube River are exposed amid a drought in Rasova, Romania, Monday, Aug. 3 2026.

Tags

As featured on

This summer isn't breaking heat records -- yet. Wait until El Nino kicks in, scientists say

This summer isn't breaking heat records -- yet. Wait until El Nino kicks in, scientists say

With parts of the globe aflame in wildfires, deadly heat waves parking over cities, record hot oceans and a strengthening super El Nino, it seems like we’re baking through the hottest year on record. But we’re not quite there — yet. It's only No. 3 in the record books. But it could be No. 1 soon. With the El Nino kicking in and accelerated warming, scientists say there’s increasing likelihood that the second half of 2026 will be near record territory. Scientists say this summer's warming is from human-caused climate change, not El Nino.