January 2025 was the warmest January on record
Raimond Klavins, Unsplash
According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), January 2025 was the warmest January on a global level. The average surface temperature reached 13.23°C, 0.79°C above the 1991-2020 average and 1.75°C above pre-industrial levels (1850-1900).
January was also the 18th month in the last 19 when temperatures were 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, confirming that global warming is accelerating.
The temperature in Europe in January 2025 was 1.80°C, 2.51°C above the climatic norm. This is the second warmest January in recorded history after 2020, when the anomaly reached 2.64°C.
The highest temperatures were recorded in southern and eastern Europe, including western Russia. At the same time, Iceland, the UK, Ireland, northern France and Scandinavia experienced below average temperatures.
Outside Europe, record warmth was observed in Canada, Alaska, Siberia, South America, Africa and Australia. At the same time, below average temperatures were observed in the USA, eastern Russia (Chukotka and Kamchatka), the Arabian Peninsula and South-East Asia.
The mean sea surface temperature (SST) in January 2025 was 20.78°C, making it the second highest on record for January. Although temperatures were below normal in the central equatorial Pacific Ocean, they remained above average in the eastern part, indicating a slowing of the transition to the La Niña phenomenon.
In January 2025, western Europe, Italy, Scandinavia and the Baltic States experienced excessive precipitation causing flooding. However, the north of the UK, Ireland, eastern Spain and the northern Black Sea suffered from precipitation deficits.
Outside Europe, Alaska, Canada, eastern Russia, eastern Australia, southeastern Africa and southern Brazil experienced abnormal showers and flooding. At the same time, the southwestern United States, northern Mexico, North Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, eastern China and much of South America and Australia experienced drought conditions.
Arctic sea ice in January 2025 reached its lowest level ever recorded, second only to January 2018. Ice cover was 6 per cent below average. The decline was particularly severe in eastern Canada (including Hudson Bay and the Labrador Sea) and the northern Barents Sea.
In Antarctica, the ice cover also remained below normal (by 5%), but its level was closer to the average values than in 2023-2024, when record lows were observed.
Climate trends continue to break new temperature records, despite the influence of La Niña, which typically lowers global temperatures. January 2025 was another alarming signal confirming the acceleration of global warming. Copernicus experts continue to monitor changes in ocean temperatures and their impact on climate in 2025.
