January 2026 brought sharp weather contrasts across the world. Europe and Finland faced sustained cold while global temperatures ranked among the highest ever measured, according to data from the EU Copernicus Climate Change Service and Finnish Meteorological Institute. The global average surface temperature for the month reached 12.95 degrees Celsius. That level stood 0.51 degrees above the average for January during the 1991 to 2020 reference period. Compared with pre-industrial levels from 1850 to 1900, the month was 1.47 degrees warmer.