2025 was another year of exceptional warmth for the planet

Copernicus reports 2025 was the third warmest year on record, with global average air temperature 1.47°C above pre‑industrial levels, and the Met Office says the UK had a record-warm year with a mean of 10.09°C.

Copernicus and the Met Office released figures showing 2025 was the third warmest year on record for Earth. Copernicus reported the global average air temperature was 1.47°C above pre‑industrial levels. The Met Office reported the UK had a mean annual temperature of 10.09°C, its warmest year on record. Agencies attribute most of the recent warmth to human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, while El Niño and La Niña had smaller regional effects. Key findings: - Copernicus says 2025 was the third warmest year on record, at 1.47°C above pre‑industrial levels. - The past 11 years (2015–2025) are reported as the warmest on record globally. - Sea surface temperatures were generally warmer outside the tropics, with record warmth in parts of the northeast Atlantic and northwest Pacific, while tropical seas were cooler than the previous two years in part due to La Niña. - The Met Office reports the UK mean temperature for 2025 was 10.09°C and a rapid attribution study found human-induced climate change made the UK's 2025 annual temperature approximately 260 times more likely. Summary: Agencies say human-caused greenhouse gas emissions are the primary driver of the recent run of very warm years, and the warming is linked to changes in weather extremes and pressures on ecosystems and communities. Early forecasts indicate 2026 is likely to remain among the warmest years on record. Undetermined at this time.