The Earth trapped record levels of heat in 2025, the United Nations warned, marking the 11th consecutive hottest year since 2015. Global temperatures reached 1.43°C above the 1850-1900 baseline, just below the 2024 record of 1.55°C.
The World Meteorological Organization confirmed the planet’s energy imbalance has surged to unprecedented levels, driven by greenhouse gases at their highest concentration in 800,000 years. Over 91% of excess heat is stored in the oceans, which warmed at more than double the rate from 2005 to 2025 compared to 1960-2005.
Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets lost massive volume. Arctic sea ice extent in 2025 ranked among the lowest ever recorded. Global sea levels rose to 11 centimeters above 1993 levels-a trend expected to continue for centuries.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres declared climate chaos is accelerating, warning that fossil fuel dependence is destabilizing both the environment and global security. La Niña temporarily moderated 2025’s heat, but forecasts suggest El Niño could drive even higher temperatures by 2027.