Tracking the Antarctic ozone hole in the second half of 2026
16 September marks the United Nations International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, highlighting its important role in protecting life on Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation.
The Antarctic ozone hole typically reaches its maximum extent between mid-September and early October. In 2026, by the end of August, its area was already larger than that of Antarctica. The hole then grew rapidly, reaching about 25 million km² on 12 September, around 5 million km² above the average for this time of the year. Forecasts from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) indicate that the extent of the hole may further growth.
These CAMS visualisations show the evolution of the Antarctic ozone hole from 1 August to 12 September 2026.
More information is available here.
The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service supports the continuous monitoring of the ozone layer, providing both observations and forecasts.
