This year is on track to become the second warmest year ever recorded globally, tied with 2023 and trailing only 2024’s unprecedented heat levels, according to data released December 9 by the Copernicus Climate Change Service. The findings reveal that November global temperatures were 1.54C above pre-industrial levels, marking a continuation of extreme warming trends that scientists say reflect accelerating climate change.
The European Union’s climate monitoring service reported the three-year average for 2023 to 2025 is on track to exceed 1.5C for the first time. This threshold, established in the Paris Agreement as a critical limit to avoid severe climate impacts, represents a significant milestone in tracking planetary heating. The global average temperature anomaly for January to November 2025 stands at 0.60C above the 1991 to 2020 average, or 1.48C above the 1850 to 1900 pre-industrial reference period.
These developments arrive as international climate negotiations continue to struggle with establishing meaningful commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Deep geopolitical divisions and weakening momentum for climate action have hampered efforts to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels, even as extreme weather events devastate communities worldwide.
Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, emphasized that these temperature records represent more than statistical benchmarks. The data reflect the real-world impacts of climate change manifesting through increasingly frequent and severe weather disasters, she explained, noting that rapid emissions reductions remain the only pathway to mitigate future temperature rises.
November 2025 ranked as the third warmest November globally since record keeping began, with average surface air temperatures reaching 14.02C. This represents 0.65C above the 1991 to 2020 average for the month. The November reading was 0.20C cooler than the warmest November recorded in 2023 and 0.08C cooler than November 2024. Notably warmer than average temperatures were recorded across Northern Canada, the Arctic Ocean and Antarctica during the month.
The Philippines experienced devastating consequences from extreme weather in November when Typhoon Kalmaegi struck central provinces, ultimately claiming at least 224 lives before moving toward Vietnam. The storm triggered catastrophic flooding across Cebu province and neighboring islands, with floodwaters described by authorities as unprecedented in scope and intensity. Less than one week later, Super Typhoon Fung-wong battered the country, killing at least 10 people and displacing 1.4 million residents.
Climate scientists point to natural variability as one factor in year to year temperature fluctuations, but decades of research demonstrate an unmistakable upward trend linked directly to greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels. The last decade has produced the 10 hottest years ever recorded, with 2024 becoming the first year to exceed 1.5C above preindustrial levels when measured as an annual average.
Southeast Asia experienced multiple extreme weather events throughout November tied to an erratic northeast monsoon strengthened by tropical cyclones. Indonesia reported approximately 700 deaths from flooding affecting 1.5 million people, while Vietnam recorded 90 deaths during November alone. Thailand experienced flooding and landslides that killed at least 160 people and displaced roughly 2 million residents.
Temperature records maintained by the Copernicus Climate Change Service extend back to 1940 and are cross referenced with global datasets reaching the mid 19th century. These comprehensive records strengthen scientific confidence in observed warming trends. The monitoring system utilizes billions of measurements collected from satellites, ships, aircraft and weather stations distributed across the planet.
The United Nations has acknowledged that limiting global warming to 1.5C above preindustrial levels no longer appears achievable given current emissions trajectories and policy commitments. However, climate experts emphasize that the speed and extent of temperature overshoot can still be significantly influenced by immediate action to cut emissions. Every fraction of a degree matters in determining the severity of climate impacts communities will face in coming decades.
Global ocean temperatures have maintained record levels for eight consecutive years, providing abundant energy for tropical cyclones to intensify. The climate crisis is amplifying rainfall events as warmer air holds more moisture, which atmospheric systems then release over populated areas. This phenomenon contributed to the severe flooding witnessed across multiple Asian nations during November.
Arctic sea ice extent in November dropped to its second lowest level for the month, falling 12 percent below average. Europe experienced its fourth warmest autumn on record, while specific regions showed more pronounced warming anomalies. The continent recorded average temperatures of 5.74C in November, which is 1.38C above the 1991 to 2020 average for that month.
While 2025 may not reach the full year average of 1.5C above preindustrial levels achieved in 2024, the three year period from 2023 to 2025 is virtually certain to become the first such stretch exceeding that threshold. Scientists view this sustained elevation in global temperatures as evidence that the world has entered a decade where breaching the 1.5C limit has become increasingly likely without rapid emissions reductions.
The relentless growth of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere has coincided with steady increases in global temperatures, creating a clear correlation supported by multiple independent datasets. These findings reinforce the scientific consensus that human activity, particularly fossil fuel combustion, drives observed climate change and its associated impacts on weather patterns and extreme events.
