London, December 09, 2025
Global climate monitoring agencies report that 2025 is virtually certain to rank as the second- or third-hottest year on record worldwide, confirming the ongoing intensification of global warming. This ranking is based on observed surface temperature data through the end of 2025, highlighting significant temperature anomalies and environmental changes.
Global Temperature Rankings
Data compiled by the European Union and corroborated by U.S. climate analyses show that the global surface temperature for 2025 will trail only behind the record-warm year of 2024, making it either the second or third warmest year in the modern record. By October, the global average temperature was 1.23°C (2.21°F) above the 20th-century baseline, marking the third warmest October on record. The combined January to October period of 2025 ranks second highest after the same period in 2024, further emphasizing the persistence of elevated temperatures. November’s figures continued this trend with a global surface air temperature of 14.02°C, just 0.2°C cooler than the warmest November ever recorded.
Geographic and Climatic Impacts
The temperature anomalies of 2025 were most pronounced in the northern hemisphere’s high and mid-latitudes, Australia, and Antarctica. Several regions set record or near-record monthly highs: North America, the Arctic, Antarctica, and Oceania experienced their warmest October on record. Other continents such as South America and Africa also ranked among their ten warmest Octobers. Europe and Asia recorded above-average temperatures, though they did not reach their top ten warmest Octobers. In addition to air temperatures, environmental indicators signaled climate stress: snow cover in North America and Greenland was below average, polar sea ice extent decreased, and tropical cyclone activity was above average, underscoring the broader impacts of a warming climate.
Climate Change Context and Outlook
While 2025 is expected not to surpass 2024 as the hottest year globally, its position in the top three warmest years aligns with ongoing climate change projections. The continuation of this warming trend poses significant risks to ecosystems, weather patterns, and human systems internationally. These temperature records and observed environmental changes confirm the urgency for policymakers, business leaders, and academics to address the causes and consequences of global warming with sustained attention to mitigation and adaptation efforts.
This data adds to a growing body of evidence demonstrating that climate change remains a critical and accelerating challenge worldwide, necessitating informed decision-making and concerted action across sectors.