The United Nations has issued a stark warning that 2025 is set to become one of the hottest years on record, signaling yet another alarming milestone in the global climate crisis. According to a new report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), this year is expected to rank as the second or third hottest since records began 176 years ago, just behind 2024, which remains the warmest year ever documented. The findings were released as world leaders convened in Brazil’s Amazon region ahead of the COP30 climate summit.
Rising concentrations of greenhouse gases are largely driving this trend, trapping more heat in the atmosphere and oceans. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) reported a 2.3 percent increase in global emissions last year, with India, China, Russia, and Indonesia as the primary contributors. WMO chief Celeste Saulo emphasized to world leaders in Belem that these data make it “virtually impossible to limit global warming to 1.5°C in the next few years without temporarily overshooting the Paris Agreement target.” The 2015 Paris Climate Accord aims to keep global temperature rise “well below 2°C” and ideally limit it to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Saulo stressed that while the situation is dire, it is still “entirely possible and essential” to bring temperatures back to 1.5°C by the end of the century if urgent action is taken.
The report highlights that average near-surface temperatures — roughly two meters above ground — were 1.42°C above pre-industrial levels during the first eight months of 2025. Visible effects include the lowest Arctic sea ice extent recorded after the winter freeze and persistently below-average Antarctic sea ice levels. Scientists also linked the year’s extreme heat to widespread floods, wildfires, and other climate-driven disasters, affecting livelihoods, food security, and ecosystems worldwide.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the global failure to meet temperature targets as a “moral failure.” WMO climate science chief Chris Hewitt added that the duration and severity of this temperature spike depend entirely on policy decisions made today, making outcomes at COP30 critical. According to the WMO, the years 2015 through 2025 will all rank among the warmest ever observed, with 2023, 2024, and 2025 occupying the top three positions.
Despite the grim outlook, the WMO highlighted progress in early warning systems, which have more than doubled since 2015, now covering 119 countries. These systems are increasingly essential in protecting communities from climate-related disasters. The UN emphasized that while the scientific pathway to limiting global warming remains, immediate action is crucial. Governments must urgently cut emissions, transition to clean energy, and implement measures to protect vulnerable populations from the escalating impacts of global climate change.