The report emphasizes that the period from 2015 to 2025 has become the hottest in recorded history, and 2025 is likely to rank as the second or third warmest year. Last year, air temperatures were 1.43 degrees Celsius higher than in the pre-industrial period (1850-1900).
UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated: "All key climate indicators are signaling danger. When the same thing happens eleven times in a row, it is no longer a coincidence - it is a call to action".
Melting Glaciers and Rising Ocean Temperatures
The world's oceans, absorbing over 91% of excess heat, have reached record levels of warming. Over the past 20 years, they have accumulated energy equivalent to eighteen annual volumes of humanity's energy consumption.The ice cover continues to diminish: in 2025, Arctic sea ice reached its minimum levels, while Antarctica recorded the third lowest level in the history of satellite observations. Glacier loss is observed in Iceland and along the Pacific coast of North America.
Global sea levels are rising, currently 11 cm higher than in 1993, when satellite measurements began. Experts note that these processes will continue for centuries, and changes in ocean temperature and acidity will be irreversible for millennia.
Energy Imbalance
For the first time, the WMO presented in its report the Earth's energy imbalance indicator, which reflects the difference between incoming solar energy and outgoing thermal radiation. This imbalance has reached a maximum level in 65 years of observations.WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo noted: "Human activity is increasingly disrupting the natural balance, and we will feel the consequences of this for hundreds and thousands of years".
Dangerous Consequences of Delay
Extreme weather conditions in 2025 - from droughts and hurricanes to floods and wildfires - led to thousands of casualties, millions affected, and colossal economic losses. The report also notes an increase in food insecurity, migration, and deterioration of public health, including the spread of dengue fever and rising heat stress.António Guterres added: "In an era of conflict, climate shocks reveal an important truth: our dependence on fossil fuels threatens both the climate and global security. The current report should serve as a warning: climate chaos is intensifying, and delay could cost lives".
Photo on the main page is illustrative: Adobestock / Fahad.
