January 2025 was the hottest January ever recorded, continuing an alarming trend of extreme global temperatures despite the emergence of the typically cooling La Niña weather pattern. According to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), the global average temperature for the month was 1.75°C higher than pre-industrial levels, breaking the previous record set in January 2024 by 0.09°C.
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The persistence of extreme heat has surprised scientists, as global temperatures have now exceeded the 1.5°C threshold in 18 of the past 19 months. This comes despite expectations that the shift from El Niño—known for warming the planet—to La Niña would lead to a temporary cooling effect.
Unprecedented Ocean and Surface Temperatures
One of the biggest contributors to global warmth has been unusually high sea surface temperatures. Copernicus data revealed that global ocean temperatures in January were the second-highest on record for the month, trailing only January 2024. The Arctic experienced particularly unseasonable warmth, with parts of the Canadian Arctic registering temperatures up to 30°C above average, causing sea ice to melt even in winter.
Copernicus reported that Arctic sea ice levels tied the lowest ever recorded for January, while the U.S.-based National Snow and Ice Data Center ranked it as the second-lowest, just behind 2018.
Scientists Alarmed by Worsening Climate Crisis
Climate experts are increasingly concerned about the accelerating pace of global warming. Former NASA scientist James Hansen and his colleagues published a new study arguing that climate change is speeding up, with the last 15 years warming at roughly twice the rate of the previous 40 years. While some scientists dispute this claim, the persistence of record heat supports fears that warming is intensifying.
Bill McGuire, emeritus professor of geophysical and climate hazards at University College London, described the latest data as “astonishing and frankly terrifying,” warning that climate breakdown has already arrived. The record-breaking temperatures coincide with extreme weather events worldwide, such as catastrophic floods in Valencia and devastating wildfires in Los Angeles.
Regional Climate Impacts
While the United States experienced unusually cold conditions in January, vast portions of the planet were much warmer than average. Northeast and northwest Canada, Alaska, Siberia, southern South America, Africa, Australia, and Antarctica all reported above-average temperatures.
In Australia, the Bureau of Meteorology confirmed that 2024 was the country’s second-hottest year on record, trailing only 2019. The country faced severe heatwaves, bushfires, and extreme rainfall events, demonstrating the increasing volatility of the climate system.
La Niña Fails to Cool Global Temperatures
La Niña, which officially began in January 2025, typically brings cooler global temperatures by cooling equatorial Pacific waters. However, its expected effect has not materialized, leading to speculation that greenhouse gas emissions are now overpowering natural climate cycles.
Samantha Burgess, strategic lead at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, noted that “even though the equatorial Pacific isn’t creating warming conditions, we’re still seeing record temperatures.” Scientists now question whether La Niña will significantly reduce global temperatures in 2025 as previously expected.
Future of Global Temperatures
Experts at Berkeley Earth and the UK Met Office anticipate 2025 will be the third-hottest year on record, behind 2024 and 2023, though uncertainty remains. While some scientists predict a potential slowdown in warming, others, like Hansen, argue that climate change is accelerating.
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Despite global climate commitments under the Paris Agreement, fossil fuel consumption continues to rise, driving greenhouse gas emissions ever higher. As Hansen warns, “over the full year, it’s going to be nip-and-tuck between 2024 and 2025” for the title of hottest year on record.