India, Feb. 10 -- January 2026 marked the fifth warmest on record, despite a cold snap in Europe and North America, due to a wavy Arctic jet stream.

While the northern hemisphere faced frigid conditions, the southern hemisphere experienced extreme heat, leading to wildfires.

Sea surface temperatures remained high and sea ice extent was notably low, highlighting ongoing climate change impacts.

January 2026 was the fifth warmest January month on record, with contrasting temperatures in the northern and southern hemispheres, according to the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).

Most of Europe and large parts of North America experienced a cold snap through most of January due to a w...