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So far this year, Earth has run +1.51°C hotter than before industry.
That's the average from 1 January to 17 October, against the 1850–1900 baseline, making 2026 the 2nd warmest year on record so far. Every stripe behind this text is one year since 1850, blue for cool and red for hot.
- Global average 17 Oct
- 15.30°C Record for the date
- CO₂ today
- 426.7 ppm
- Arctic sea ice
- −1.74M km² vs normal
- Record-warm days in 2026
- 60
The planet today
Six numbers that tell you where we are
Live readings from the agencies that monitor the climate. Tap any card for the full chart.
Every day since 1940
2026 against every year on record
Global average air temperature, day by day. The faint lines are the last eight decades; the bright red line is this year. Hover or tap the chart to read any day.
- 1991–2020 average
- 2025
- 2026
Show the data as a table
| Year | Average vs pre-industrial (°C) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | +1.47 |
| 2024 | +1.60 |
| 2023 | +1.48 |
| 2022 | +1.18 |
| 2021 | +1.16 |
| 2020 | +1.31 |
| 2019 | +1.28 |
| 2018 | +1.14 |
| 2017 | +1.22 |
| 2016 | +1.32 |
| 2015 | +1.14 |
| 2014 | +0.99 |
| 2013 | +0.95 |
| 2012 | +0.92 |
| 2011 | +0.87 |
Source: Copernicus Climate Change Service / ECMWF, ERA5 · latest days preliminary ·
1880 → 2026
The climate spiral
Each loop is a year, each point a month, and the further from the centre the hotter it was. For a century the spiral barely moves. Then it unwinds.
- Pre-industrial (1880–1900 average)
- +1.0°C
- +1.5°C, the Paris limit
Source: NASA GISTEMP v4, rebased to 1880–1900 ·
Understand it
Climate change, explained simply
Three short guides. No jargon, live numbers, sources on everything.
Countries
Who emits, and how much
Carbon dioxide from fossil fuels and industry, per person. Pick any country for its full story.
Questions people ask
How much has the Earth warmed?
About 1.3 to 1.5°C since the late 1800s, and the last few years have been the hottest on record. So far in 2026 the planet has averaged +1.51°C above the 1850–1900 pre-industrial baseline (Copernicus ERA5). Over the last ten years NOAA's record averages +1.17°C. 2024 was the first calendar year above 1.5°C.
Is climate change caused by humans?
Yes. The IPCC says it is "unequivocal" that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land. Burning coal, oil and gas releases carbon dioxide that traps heat. Natural factors like the Sun and volcanoes would on their own have caused almost no warming, or slight cooling, since 1950.
What is the CO₂ level today?
The latest daily reading at Mauna Loa, Hawaii, is 426.7 ppm. Before the industrial revolution it was about 280 ppm, and it hasn't been this high in at least 800,000 years. It rises by roughly 2 to 3 ppm every year.
What does 1.5°C mean?
It's the Paris Agreement's target: hold long-term warming (a 20-year average) to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels to avoid the worst impacts. A single year above 1.5°C doesn't mean the target is lost, but at today's pace the 20-year average will cross it around 2030.
How often is this data updated?
Automatically. Daily temperature, CO₂ and sea ice refresh several times a day as the agencies publish; monthly and yearly records refresh within a day of release. Each chart shows its source and when it was last checked.