Global Temperatures Reach 1.9C Above Pre-Industrial Levels This Summer

Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations reached a record high in May, according to data presented during a Tuesday briefing organized by Climate Central. 5 degrees Fahrenheit above pre-industrial levels, the briefing stated. Atmospheric scientist Zack Labe opened the session by linking human-caused warming to heat waves, storms and wildfires.

Labe explained that CO2 levels reach a seasonal peak each May before Northern Hemisphere forests absorb carbon during summer growth. Human emissions continue to exceed the absorption capacity of forests and oceans, resulting in net atmospheric buildup.

About two-thirds of excess CO2 has accumulated in the past 50 years. Climate Central began the briefings after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ended its own monthly updates last year.

NASA climate scientist James Hansen stated on his website Friday that 2026 is likely to be the warmest year on record. Hansen said many scientists underestimate climate system sensitivity to greenhouse gases. On June 11, Copernicus reported that Earth's climate system is accumulating heat faster than at any time in the known record.

The report, written by 70 scientists from 56 institutions, concluded that nearly all recent warming results from human activities. Climate scientist Piers Forster said the planet's energy imbalance has doubled in recent decades, providing a measure of the pace of climate change.