What global climate ranking did January 2026 achieve, according to Climate Central's Monthly Briefing?

January 2026 marked a significant milestone in global climate history, ranking as the fifth warmest January on record for combined land and ocean temperatures. This assessment comes from Climate Central's Monthly Briefing, aligning with findings from other prominent climate monitoring services. Records for global temperatures have been meticulously kept since at least 1850, providing a comprehensive historical perspective against which to measure contemporary climate shifts.

This "fifth warmest" ranking means that out of all the Januaries recorded over the past 170-plus years, only four others have registered higher average global temperatures. The global average temperature for January 2026 was 12.95 degrees Celsius, notably warmer than the 1991-2020 average for the month. This consistent warmth underscores the broader, long-term trend of a warming planet, driven largely by human-caused climate change.

Interestingly, this global warmth occurred despite some notable regional variations. Parts of the Northern Hemisphere, including areas of Europe and North America, experienced severe cold waves and even recorded their coldest January since 2010 in Europe. Conversely, other regions, such as the Arctic, Greenland, and parts of the Southern Hemisphere like Australia, saw strikingly warm conditions. These "mixed signals" highlight the complex nature of our climate system, where localized cold snaps can still occur even as the overarching global temperature trend continues its upward trajectory.