January 2026 marked the fifth-warmest on record worldwide, with contrasting temperature extremes observed in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, as per the EU-funded Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). The global average temperature for the month was 12.95 degrees Celsius, slightly cooler than the record-warm January of 2025. Notably, the Northern Hemisphere, including Europe and North America, faced severe cold waves, resulting in Europe’s coldest January since 2010, with an average temperature of minus 2.34 degrees Celsius.
In contrast, the Southern Hemisphere experienced record-breaking heat, leading to worsening wildfires in Australia and Patagonia. Additionally, late-month heavy rains in Southern Africa triggered severe flooding. Samantha Burgess, the strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, highlighted the stark contrast in weather patterns, emphasizing the importance of enhancing resilience and accelerating adaptation to cope with escalating climate risks.
Moreover, the average sea surface temperature for January 2026, ranging from 60 degrees south latitude to 60 degrees north latitude, reached 20.68 degrees Celsius, ranking as the fourth-highest for January on record. The report also noted that Arctic sea ice extent in January was 6 percent below average, the third lowest for the month, while Antarctic sea ice extent was 8 percent below average, according to Xinhua news agency.
The recent weeks in Europe have witnessed a wave of extreme weather events, with powerful Atlantic storms causing flooding in southern regions and Arctic cold gripping central and northern Europe. This weather phenomenon has resulted in casualties, displacements, and widespread disruptions across the affected areas.
