April 2026 ranks as fourth-warmest on record globally and had near-record low Arctic sea ice extent
April Highlights:
- April was the fourth-warmest April on record.
- The Northern Hemisphere had a below-average snow cover extent, driven by deficits in Eurasia.
- Both poles experienced below-average sea ice extent, with the Arctic having its second-smallest April extent on record.
- Global tropical cyclone activity was near average with four named storms.
Temperature
April 2026 ranked as the fourth-warmest April on record, trailing only 2024, 2025 and 2020, with a global surface temperature 2.02°F (1.12°C) above the 20th-century average. Notably, all 10 of the warmest Aprils in the 1850–2026 record have occurred since 2016. This month also marked the 50th-consecutive April with a global temperature departure above the 20th-century average; the most recent below-average April occurred in 1976. Globally, ocean temperatures ranked second-warmest for the month, while land temperatures came in at seventh-warmest.
During April 2026, above-average temperatures spanned most global land and ocean surfaces. Notable temperature departures of at least +3.6°F (+2.0°C) were observed across the Arctic, Antarctica, the southern and eastern contiguous U.S., the North Pacific Ocean, and portions of Europe, Asia, eastern Africa and southwestern Australia. Record-high April temperatures were mainly present across the Pacific, Atlantic and southern Indian Oceans, alongside localized land areas in the contiguous U.S, Europe, Asia, Africa and Antarctica.
Below-average temperatures covered much of Canada, Africa, eastern Europe, and northern Australia, along with parts of South America, Russia, the Middle East and Antarctica. Record-cold April temperatures were confined to a small region in the South Pacific Ocean.
Regionally, several continents experienced a top-10 warmest April on record: Asia had its seventh-warmest, Antarctica had its eighth-warmest and Oceania tied for its ninth-warmest April. While North America, South America, Europe, Africa and the Arctic also experienced above-average April temperatures, they did not rank among their top 10.
Year-to-date
Looking at the year-to-date, the January–April global surface temperature was the fifth highest on record. According to NCEI’s Global Annual Temperature Outlook, it is very likely that 2026 will rank among the five warmest years on record.
Snow Cover
In April 2026, the Northern Hemisphere snow cover extent was below average, driven primarily by the deficits in Eurasia. Eurasia recorded its eighth-lowest extent on record, at 460,000 square miles below average. The most pronounced snow deficits occurred across the western contiguous U.S., and stretched from northern Europe through western Russia, Mongolia, and northwestern China. In contrast, North America and Greenland experienced a slightly above-average snow cover, at 140,000 square miles above average.
Sea Ice
Global sea ice extent was the fifth smallest for April in the 48-year record, covering 7.63 million square miles, which is 590,000 square miles below the 1991–2020 average. The global deficit was primarily driven by the Arctic, which had its second-lowest April extent on record, falling 290,000 square miles below average. Meanwhile, the Antarctic sea extent was 300,000 square miles below average and the 11th-smallest April extent.
Tropical Cyclones
In April 2026, global tropical cyclone activity was near average with four named storms. All four intensified into tropical cyclones and three of those reached major tropical cyclone strength. The storms formed in each of the West Pacific, South Indian, Australian and South Pacific basins.
Notably, Super Typhoon Sinlaku in the West Pacific became a rare, early-season Category 5-equivalent storm—one of only 10 on record to reach that intensity in the basin prior to May. Additionally, Tropical Cyclone Vaianu peaked as a Category 3-equivalent storm, making it the South Pacific’s first major cyclone since 2023. As is typical for April, no storms formed in the North Atlantic, East Pacific or North Indian basins.
For a more complete summary of climate conditions and events, see our April 2026 Global Climate Report or explore our Climate at a Glance Global Time Series.
