Europe witnessed its warmest March since records began, with temperatures soaring 2.12°C above the 1991–2020 average, according to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).
This eclipsed the previous 2014 high by 0.88°C, extending a dire pattern: 20 of the past 21 months have breached the 1.5°C threshold above pre-industrial levels, a critical limit under the Paris Agreement. Samantha Burgess, C3S Deputy Director, warned the anomalies signal “a planet in crisis,” as 2024 marked the hottest year globally.
The global average temperature for March 2025 hit 14.14°C, 1.6°C above pre-industrial benchmarks. While slightly cooler than March 2024’s record-shattering 14.2°C, scientists note this marginal dip offers “no respite” from the broader trajectory. Fossil fuel emissions remain the primary driver, with atmospheric CO₂ concentrations now at 425 ppm, a 50% rise since the Industrial Revolution.
Europe’s March weather fluctuated between extremes. Southern regions, including Spain and Italy, endured their driest March in 47 years, exacerbating drought conditions that slashed olive harvests by 40%.
Conversely, Scandinavia and the Baltics faced record rainfall, with Oslo receiving 300% of its average March precipitation, triggering floods that displaced 1,200 people. Burgess attributed the volatility to climate change.
In France, vineyards reported budding six weeks early, risking frost damage, while Alpine ski resorts shuttered due to a lack of snow. Greece saw wildfires ignite in March, unheard of before 2010, as temperatures hit 28°C.
Concurrent with Europe’s heat, Arctic sea ice dwindled to its lowest March extent since satellite monitoring began in 1979, covering just 14.2 million km², 4% below the 1991-2020 average. This follows record-low ice levels in December 2024 to February 2025, with scientists warning the region is warming four times faster than the global rate.
The World Meteorological Organisation now estimates a 66% chance 2025 will exceed 1.5°C annually, a threshold once deemed avoidable.
