2025 on track to be 2nd-hottest year on record: EU climate service

BRUSSELS

2025 is set to become the second-hottest year globally since records began, according to new data released on Tuesday by Copernicus, the EU’s climate service.

Based on preliminary figures covering January to November, the global average surface air temperature this year is already tied with 2023, currently the second-warmest year, and slightly below the record set in 2024.

November was the third-warmest November on record, with temperatures 1.54C (2.8F) above pre-industrial levels. Extreme weather events, including tropical cyclones in Southeast Asia, caused catastrophic flooding and significant loss of life during the month.

Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, said the figures "reflect the accelerating pace of climate change," and stressed that rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are the only way to mitigate further warming.

In Europe, November 2025 was the fifth-warmest on record, with above-average temperatures particularly in eastern Europe, Russia, the Balkans, and Türkiye.

Northern Sweden, Finland, Iceland, and parts of central Europe also saw below-average temperatures. Fall 2025, meanwhile, was the fourth-warmest for Europe, with eastern regions showing the most pronounced warming.

Globally, northern Canada, the Arctic Ocean, and East Antarctica experienced temperatures far above average, while parts of northeastern Russia saw below-average anomalies.

Sea surface temperatures for November were the fourth-highest on record, with the North Pacific and the Norwegian Sea seeing particularly high values.

Arctic sea ice was 12% below average, the second-lowest for November, with Antarctic Sea ice 7% below average.

November was wetter than average across the UK, Ireland, parts of southern Europe, and the southeast USA, while drier conditions persisted in northern Mexico, central Asia, and parts of the Mediterranean. Southeast Asia suffered extreme flooding, resulting in more than 1,100 fatalities.

Copernicus data indicated that while 2025 may not exceed 1.5C above pre-industrial levels for the year, the three-year average from 2023 to 2025 is likely to surpass this key threshold for the first time.