While this summer has seen intense heat waves and wildfires, it has not yet broken any records. However, scientists warn that the combination of human-caused global warming and a strengthening El Nino may lead to 2026 becoming the hottest year on record.

El Nino’s Impact

El Nino is a natural temporary warming of parts of the equatorial Pacific that heats up the globe’s average temperature and warps weather extremes across the planet. Most forecasts have El Nino becoming the strongest in history, which could release pent-up heat in the ocean and contribute to record-breaking temperatures.

Climate scientists agree that human-caused global warming is the primary driver of the record warmth, with El Nino playing a secondary role. The amount of heat in the world’s oceans, a marker of human-caused climate change, keeps setting new record highs.

Heat Waves and Wildfires

This summer’s heat waves have hit hard in places where people aren’t used to triple-digit heat, unlike in the tropics. The frequency and extent of heat waves in Europe have been particularly notable, with exceptional heat waves in May, June, and July.

Climate scientists warn that the increased risk of wildfires and heat waves is a direct result of climate change. The world’s daily sea surface temperature has been record hot nearly every day since June, and the oceans are more than 70% of the globe’s surface.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.