The year 2025 is almost certain to end as one of the hottest ever measured, according to new data from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), intensifying global concerns about the rapid acceleration of climate change.

C3S announced on Tuesday that global temperatures between January and November 2025 averaged 1.48°C (2.7°F) above pre-industrial levels. This makes it “virtually certain” that the year will rank as either the second or third warmest in recorded history.

The warning adds to the mounting scientific evidence that the planet is accelerating toward dangerous and irreversible climate thresholds.

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2025 Temperatures Near Critical Climate Thresholds

The newly released climate data follows a trend that scientists have been highlighting for years.

• 2024 remains the hottest year ever recorded.
• 2023 currently stands as the second warmest.

Even though 2025 may not cross the 1.5°C annual average threshold, C3S said that the three-year global temperature average from 2023 to 2025 is expected to surpass 1.5°C, the level long identified as the tipping point for the most severe and costly climate impacts.

Dr. Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at C3S, emphasized the urgency of the situation:

“These milestones are not abstract – they reflect the accelerating pace of climate change. The only way to mitigate future rising temperatures is to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

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Extreme Weather Events Highlight Growing Climate Emergency

The data comes during a year marked by devastating extreme weather events across the globe.
A series of tropical storms and severe flooding in South and Southeast Asia has already led to more than 1,800 deaths, underscoring how climate-related disasters are worsening in frequency and intensity.

In October, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that the world is on course to exceed the 1.5°C limit, calling for stronger global early warning systems to protect vulnerable communities.

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Global Climate Efforts Face Setbacks

Despite the growing urgency, international efforts to tackle climate change remain uneven.
Last month’s COP30 climate summit in Brazil ended without a commitment to phase out fossil fuels—deepening concerns about global cooperation as temperatures continue to climb.

Researchers warn that even if emissions miraculously dropped today, global temperatures would not decline within any meaningful timeframe. The planet will continue to warm due to the greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere.

Climate scientist Bjorn H. Samset of the Center for International Climate Research in Norway stressed the importance of preparing for a hotter future:

“It’s therefore crucial that we also speed up our efforts to adapt—not just to the climate we’ve gotten now, but for the even warmer climate that we will see in coming decades.”

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What This Means for the Future

The Copernicus findings reinforce the urgent need for:

• Rapid emissions cuts across all major sectors
• Investment in renewable energy and green infrastructure
• Strengthening climate adaptation systems, especially in vulnerable regions
• Global policy cooperation to prevent catastrophic long-term warming

With 2025 almost certain to become one of the hottest years in human history, experts warn the window to prevent runaway climate change is rapidly closing.