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3mo ago

January 2025 Sets Record as Warmest Month Despite La Niña Conditions

Global temperatures soared 1.75°C above pre-industrial levels, raising alarms about accelerating climate change and the failure to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

A view shows the remains of vehicles and businesses burned in the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, U.S. January 11, 2025. REUTERS/David Ryder//File Photo
FILE - A person sits on the pier as ice floats on the Hudson River, Jan. 23, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, File)
FILE - Youths cool off in a pool during a summer afternoon in the Costanera neighborhood of Asuncion, Paraguay, Jan 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz, File)

Overview

  • January 2025 was the warmest month ever recorded globally, with an average surface air temperature of 13.23°C, exceeding the critical 1.5°C warming threshold above pre-industrial levels.
  • This marks the 18th month out of the last 19 with global temperatures above the 1.5°C threshold, defying expectations of cooling from La Niña conditions in the Pacific.
  • Scientists attribute the record-breaking temperatures to the long-term effects of greenhouse gas emissions, with concerns that climate change is overwhelming natural cooling patterns.
  • Extreme weather events accompanied the heat, including devastating wildfires in Los Angeles that destroyed 11,000 homes and hurricane-force winds from Storm Eowyn in the UK.
  • Experts warn that urgent global action is needed to phase out fossil fuels, reduce emissions, and develop resilience strategies against increasingly severe climate impacts.