January 2025 Breaks Global Heat Records Despite Cooling La Niña

Scientists are puzzled as global temperatures remain exceptionally high, challenging expectations of a cooling trend.

January 2025 was the hottest January on record, with global surface-air temperatures 1.75°C above pre-industrial levels.
This marks the 18th month in the past 19 where global temperatures exceeded the 1.5°C threshold set under the Paris Agreement, though not as a permanent breach.
Despite the emergence of La Niña, which typically cools global temperatures, the expected cooling effect has not materialized, leaving scientists searching for explanations.
Sea surface temperatures were exceptionally warm, with January recording the second-highest ocean temperatures on record, and Arctic sea ice hit record or near-record lows.
Potential contributing factors being investigated include reduced sulfur emissions from cleaner shipping fuels and changes in cloud cover, though the situation remains under scientific debate.