Climate scientists are warning that 2026 is shaping up to be a year of punishing extremes, with a real chance it could rank as the second warmest year ever recorded — or even take the top spot. The World Weather Attribution group said sea surface temperatures are nearing their highest level on record, while wildfires have already scorched more than 150 million hectares in the first four months of the year. That figure is 50% above the recent wildfire average and twice the area burned over the same period in 2024. Researchers…