2025 is on track to be the world’s second or third-hottest year, according to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. Only 2024’s record-breaking heat may surpass it. Scientists warn that these temperatures reflect a clear global warming trend.
The year marks the first three-year period in which average global temperatures exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Experts say this milestone shows climate change is accelerating. Samantha Burgess from C3S said these numbers are “not abstract” but reflect real impacts on people and ecosystems.
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Extreme weather continued worldwide in 2025. Typhoon Kalmaegi killed over 200 people in the Philippines. Spain experienced its worst wildfires in three decades, which scientists link to climate change. These events underline the growing human and environmental cost of rising temperatures.
Scientists note that natural weather patterns cause year-to-year fluctuations, but the long-term trend is clear. The last ten years are the warmest since records began. Greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels remain the main driver of global warming.
Read more: July was Earth’s third-warmest on record, EU scientists say
The UN and climate experts warn that the 1.5°C Paris Agreement target is unlikely to be met. They urge governments to cut emissions faster to limit further warming. C3S records, going back to 1940, confirm that human activity is reshaping the planet’s climate.