New york: 2025 ranked among the warmest years on record globally, despite a shift toward neutral or weak La Nina conditions that typically cool global temperatures, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Copernicus Climate Change Service. Global temperatures in 2025 ranked second or third warmest on record, following the record-hot year of 2024, underscoring the growing strength of human-caused warming driven by greenhouse gas emissions.
According to Philippines News Agency, scientists said natural cooling cycles are no longer sufficient to offset rising baseline temperatures, with many regions recording record or near-record heat levels throughout the year. The WMO stated in its latest global climate outlook that temperatures over the next five years are likely to remain at or near record levels, with an 80 percent chance that at least one year will exceed the current warmest year on record and a 70 percent chance that the five-year average will temporarily exceed 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.
Extreme summer heat in 2025 caused widespread health impacts and record temperatures across multiple regions, with July ranking as the third-warmest on record globally. Europe recorded its fourth-warmest summer, with intense heat concentrated in western and southern areas. Land surface temperatures were significantly above average in northeastern Spain, southwestern France, the Balkans, and parts of Fennoscandia, with anomalies reaching up to 6C in some locations.
In the UK, the Met Office reported the hottest June on record in England and the second-warmest nationwide since records began in 1884. The Netherlands experienced its second-highest June temperatures since 1901, according to data from the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute. In Spain, the State Meteorological Agency recorded the most intense heatwave on record in August. Scandinavia, including Finland, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, saw prolonged heatwaves in July.
A study by researchers from Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine estimated around 24,400 heat-related deaths across 854 European cities between June and August. About 68 percent of those deaths were attributed to climate change, effectively tripling the expected toll without human-induced warming. Italy recorded the highest number of climate-attributed deaths at 4,597, followed by Spain, Germany, France, and the UK. Researchers noted that older populations were particularly vulnerable.
Extreme heat affected large parts of Asia in 2025. Japan recorded one of its hottest Junes since records began in 1898, with prolonged heat leading to a surge in heatstroke cases and deaths, particularly among elderly people. South Korea reported record daily temperature averages in late June. India issued red alerts in New Delhi amid extended heat conditions, while Pakistan saw temperatures rise to around 50C in parts of Punjab province. In Iran, authorities closed public institutions in 18 provinces to manage soaring energy demand.
The US and parts of North America experienced severe heatwaves in 2025, including a major June heat dome that exposed more than 255 million people to extreme temperatures. Record heat affected the Midwest, Northeast, South, and West, leading to thousands of heat-related illnesses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed at least 150 heat-related deaths nationwide, with extreme heat remaining the leading weather-related cause of death in the US.
Extreme heat in 2025 intensified drought conditions in many regions. Iran faced one of its most severe water crises, with Lake Urmia shrinking dramatically. Drought conditions also affected Syria, parts of Africa, and South Korea. The WMO's State of Global Water Resources report warned of increasingly erratic water cycles. UN Water reported that 3.6 billion people face inadequate access to water for at least one month each year, a figure projected to rise to more than 5 billion by 2050.
Events in 2025 highlighted the accelerating risks posed by climate change, with heatwaves, droughts, and related crises becoming more frequent, severe, and disruptive worldwide.
