The United Nations has warned that 2025 is on track to become one of the hottest years ever recorded, marking another alarming milestone in the global climate crisis.
According to a new report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), this year will likely rank as the second or third hottest year since global records began 176 years ago—just behind 2024, which remains the warmest ever documented.
The findings were released as world leaders gathered in the Brazilian Amazon for talks ahead of next week’s COP30 climate summit.
Rising Greenhouse Gases Lock in More Heat
The WMO said concentrations of greenhouse gases have hit record highs, trapping more heat in the atmosphere and oceans. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) also reported a 2.3% rise in global emissions last year, driven mainly by India, China, Russia, and Indonesia.
WMO chief Celeste Saulo told world leaders in Belem that the new data makes it “virtually impossible to limit global warming to 1.5°C in the next few years without temporarily overshooting the Paris Agreement target.”
The 2015 Paris Climate Accord aims to keep global temperature rise “well below 2°C” and ideally limit it to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
Despite the dire outlook, Saulo stressed that it is still “entirely possible and essential” to bring temperatures back down to 1.5°C by the end of this century if drastic action is taken now.
Surface Heat and Melting Ice Alarms Scientists
The report found that average near-surface temperatures — roughly two metres above ground — were 1.42°C above pre-industrial levels during the first eight months of 2025.
The effects are visible across the planet.
- Arctic sea ice extent after the winter freeze was the lowest ever recorded.
- Antarctic sea ice also remained well below average throughout the year.
WMO scientists also linked 2025’s heat to devastating floods, wildfires, and extreme weather events, causing cascading impacts on livelihoods, food systems, and ecosystems worldwide.
“Moral Failure” and Call for Urgent Action
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres labeled the world’s failure to meet temperature targets a “moral failure.”
WMO climate science chief Chris Hewitt said the duration of this temperature spike depends entirely on decisions made today, making policy outcomes at COP30 critical.
“The years 2015 to 2025 will all rank among the warmest ever observed,” the WMO said — with 2023, 2024, and 2025 sitting at the top.
Preparing for the Future
Despite the bleak findings, the WMO noted progress in early warning systems, which have more than doubled since 2015 — from 56 to 119 countries. These systems, the agency said, are now “more crucial than ever” in protecting communities from climate-driven disasters.
The UN’s call remains clear: the scientific pathway to recovery still exists — but only if governments act now to cut emissions, transition to clean energy, and protect vulnerable populations from the escalating effects of global warming.
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