Copernicus Confirms First Three-Year Stretch Above 1.5°C as 2025 Ranks Third-Hottest

Overview

• Copernicus reports 2025 at 1.47°C above the 1850–1900 baseline, 0.13°C cooler than 2024 and 0.01°C below 2023, leaving 2024 as the warmest year on record.
• The 2023–2025 average exceeded 1.5°C for the first time and the last 11 years are the warmest on record, underscoring a persistent long‑term warming trend.
• Year‑to‑year differences reflect ENSO, with a strong El Niño elevating 2023–2024 and neutral to weak La Niña conditions moderating 2025 without reversing the broader warming.
• Regional extremes continued, including Antarctica’s warmest year, the Arctic’s second warmest, and widespread heatwaves, storms, and major wildfires that worsened air quality and health risks.
• Officials and researchers expect 2026 to be among the hottest years on record and possibly a new record if El Niño returns, while NASA’s separate summary used a different baseline, labeled 2025 slightly warmer than 2023, and omitted explicit attribution to human causes.