Last January was the warmest January in the world in the history of meteorological observations, despite La Niña, the European meteorological service Copernicus reported.
The average temperature in January 2025 was 13.23 degrees Celsius, 0.79 degrees above the average January temperature for 1991-2020 and 1.75 above pre-industrial levels. This is the 18th month in the last 19 that the global average temperature has been more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
In Europe, the average temperature in January held at 1.8 degrees Celsius, up 2.51 degrees relative to the January average for 1991-2020. It was only warmer in January 2020, when temperatures were 2.64 degrees above average.
Above-average temperatures were recorded in southern and eastern Europe, Russia, Canada, Alaska, southern South America, Africa, Australia and Antarctica, while below-average temperatures were recorded in Iceland, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France and northwest Europe. The US and eastern Russia, including Chukotka and Kamchatka, saw temperatures “most noticeably below average.”
The earth is now experiencing La Niña, a period characterised by a drop in water temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, which affects weather across almost the entire planet. La Niña is expected to last until April.
According to the European climate service Copernicus, 2024 was the hottest year in 174 years. Last year’s global average temperature was 15.1 degrees Celsius, 0.12 degrees more than in 2023.The warmest day on record was 22 July 2024, when the average daily temperature reached 17.16 degrees Celsius. Forecasters expect 2025 to be one of the five or three hottest years on record.
