2025 sets record for hottest January ever
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) announced on Thursday that January 2025 was the hottest January ever recorded, according to data analyzed by the UN's Copernicus Climate Service.
The month saw temperatures 1.75°C above pre-industrial levels and 0.79°C higher than the 1991-2020 average, defying expectations that the La Niña weather phenomenon would bring cooler temperatures.
In 2015, the international community agreed to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Despite this, January’s data came as a surprise to climate experts at Copernicus, who noted it marked the 18th month in the last 19 with global-average surface temperatures more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
Samantha Burgess, Copernicus Strategic Lead for Climate, described January 2025’s temperatures as “surprising,” continuing the record-high trend observed over the past two years, despite the development of La Niña conditions, which typically have a temporary cooling effect.
In terms of regional weather patterns, January 2025 will be remembered for "wetter-than-average conditions" in western Europe, parts of Italy, Scandinavia, and the Baltic countries, with heavy precipitation and flooding in some areas.
Meanwhile, drier-than-average conditions were observed in northern UK and Ireland, eastern Spain, and areas north of the Black Sea.
Globally, wetter-than-average conditions were reported in Alaska, Canada, central and eastern Russia, eastern Australia, southeastern Africa, and southern Brazil, with floods causing significant damage.
Conversely, the southwestern United States, northern Mexico, northern Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, eastern China, and much of southern Africa, South America, and Australia experienced drier-than-average weather.
The rise in global temperatures is largely attributed to human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels, which has led to record levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Deforestation and other factors also contribute to the ongoing temperature rise.