NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center reported that Arctic sea ice reached its annual minimum on September 12, covering 4.60 million square kilometres. That ties 2008, 2010 and 2025 for the tenth-lowest minimum in the satellite record, which began in 1978. Every summer from 2007 through 2026 ranks among the 20 lowest. In the Antarctic, sea ice likely reached its maximum on September 14 at 17.59 million square kilometres, which would be the third-lowest maximum on record. Scientists say increased cloud cover has slowed the recent decline, but ice levels remain far below the 1980s.
The 2026 El Nino has set a record for ocean warmth in the central equatorial Pacific, and forecasters expect it to strengthen further. On September 21 the daily sea-surface temperature anomaly in the key monitoring region reached about 3.1C above the 1991-2020 average, above the previous record of 3.02C set in November 2015. NOAA gives a greater than 90 per cent chance of a very strong El Nino through the coming winter, and a 75 per cent chance that the October-to-December period exceeds every event in its records going back to 1950. Carbon Brief notes the 2026 event is on track to smash the all-time record, with models showing it still strengthening as the year ends.
Antarctic sea ice reached 16.73 million square kilometres on October 1, the lowest extent for that date in the satellite record, and the area on October 5 was 1.77 million square kilometres below the 1981 to 2010 average. Antarctic ice usually peaks in late September or early October, and NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center will confirm the 2026 maximum. In the Arctic, sea ice reached its annual minimum last month.
Indonesia's worst fire season in more than a decade is continuing into October, with peatland and agricultural fires blanketing Borneo and Sumatra in smoke. Satellite monitoring has recorded more than 23,000 fire hotspots this year, and the national weather agency BMKG says fire activity has already passed 2015 levels. More than 170,000 respiratory cases have been reported and about 12.5 million people have been exposed to polluted air, with haze reaching Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines. Forecasters expect dry conditions to last into November, so the smoke could worsen before the monsoon arrives.
The Copernicus Climate Change Service reported on October 2 that summer 2026 was the hottest ever recorded in Western Europe. The average temperature reached 21.7C, which is 2.5C above the 1991-2020 average and higher than the previous record set in 2003. Across the whole continent it was the third warmest summer on record. A record 52% of Europe faced very intense heat stress at the end of the season. River flows hit lows that slowed commercial navigation, and crop yields fell.
Switzerland's glaciers lost 5.5% of their ice volume in 2026, the second-biggest yearly drop on record, according to the GLAMOS monitoring network. A winter with too little snow and record summer temperatures drove the melt. Average ice thickness fell by 2.5 to 4 metres, and some glacier tongues shrank by up to 10 metres. The Allalin, Clariden, Rhone and Aletsch glaciers recorded their biggest melts ever. Over the past five years, Swiss glaciers have lost almost a fifth of their ice. Switzerland feeds the Rhine, Rhone, Po and Danube rivers, so the losses affect water supplies, farming and hydropower.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced C$1.2 billion in funding to protect oceans, as several large energy and port projects move forward. The money is aimed at marine conservation, coastal protection and research. Environmental groups welcomed the pledge but asked how it will be enforced alongside new industrial approvals. Critics say the government risks creating areas where development outweighs protection, and they want clearer rules and monitoring.
Switzerland's glaciers shed more than 5.5 percent of their ice this year, according to the country's monitoring body, after a winter drought gave way to relentless summer heat waves. Half of Europe faced very strong heat stress during the summer. Nepal plans to drain four glacial lakes after deadly floods, and sunken Nazi warships are resurfacing as Europe's drought deepens. Researchers also proposed a new way to estimate the pollution and health costs of clusters of data centres.
Authorities declared a flood disaster zone across all 50 districts of Bangkok after days of heavy rain overwhelmed the capital's drainage system. Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said almost 300 millimetres, about 11.8 inches, had fallen since Thursday afternoon. Roads were submerged, residents near the canal network were told to move belongings upstairs, and the rail authority opened free park-and-ride spaces until 2 October. More than 700,000 people have been affected and at least two deaths confirmed. The government said the situation had stabilised, with draining expected to take two to three days.
The long dry spell across the south-western United States may last longer than current climate models suggest, according to new research covered in the 1 October issue of Science News. The work, co-authored by Victoria Todd of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, examined how past droughts ended and how that compares with the present event. The Colorado River basin faces cuts of up to 40% for California, Arizona and Nevada under a ten-year federal blueprint, and the April 2026 Arizona water supply outlook showed another weak snowpack year.