NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information and Copernicus Climate Change Service released preliminary data confirming April 2026 as the third-warmest April globally on record, with surface air temperature anomalies tying prior peaks like 2020 and 2016 at approximately 0.52°C above the 1991–2020 baseline in Copernicus datasets and aligning in NOAA's global land-ocean index. This positioning, driven by persistent anthropogenic warming amid a transitioning ENSO from El Niño, underpins the market's 100% implied probability on "3rd hottest," reflecting trader consensus on verified observational records spanning 145 years. Realistic challenges include rare post-preliminary revisions from data quality checks or Arctic/Antarctic measurement updates, though rankings seldom shift after initial agency briefings expected this week.