Last Updated:
The impact of warming was well evident over India too, where the monthly average temperatures were 0.94℃ above the long-term average – with the third-warmest January since 1901, after 1958 and 1990
A map of the world showing surface air temperature anomaly in January 2025. (Image: Copernicus Climate Change Service/EU)
Global temperatures continue to surge despite the cooling impact of La Niña, setting a new record for the warmest January ever. The surface air temperatures stood at 1.75 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, as per the Copernicus Climate Change Service supported by the European Union.
The latest data confirms the ongoing warming trend of the last decade, which continued with 2024 ending as the warmest year on record globally. It was also the first calendar year when the global average temperatures exceeded 1.5℃ above pre-industrial levels, with record-breaking heat waves sweeping many countries during summer.
Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), said the record temperatures in January were “surprising” despite the development of La Niña conditions in the tropical Pacific and their temporary cooling effect on global temperatures.
Scientists also highlighted how the heat slowed down the onset of La Niña. Although the sea-surface temperatures were below average over the central equatorial Pacific, they were close to or above average over the eastern equatorial Pacific. Meanwhile, the sea-surface temperatures remained unusually high in many other ocean basins and seas, they said.
“We’ll closely monitor ocean temperatures and their influence on our evolving climate throughout 2025,” Burgess said.
ALSO READ | Gone Too Soon? Delhi’s Peak Winter Retreats With No Cold Waves This January
The impact of warming was well evident over India too, where the monthly average temperatures were 0.94℃ above the long-term average – with the third-warmest January since 1901, after 1958 and 1990. The nights were warmer than usual with a rise of nearly 1.04℃.
“Starting 2020, all years have recorded above-normal minimum temperatures in India,” Dr Mrityunjay Mohapatra, head of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), had said while sharing a forecast for an even warmer February.
“Weak La Niña conditions prevail over the Pacific region, and are expected to persist through February to April and transition to neutral by May, which is when India sees its summer season,” he said.
The warming, meanwhile, was exceptional over the seas too. Arctic Sea ice reached its lowest monthly extent for January and stood at 6 per cent below average. While the Antarctic Sea ice extent was 5 per cent below average and, thus, relatively close to average compared to other recent years.
ALSO READ | Explained: What Went Wrong With La Niña Forecasts, As 2024 Breaks Temperature Records
“Climate history is playing out before our eyes. We’ve had not just one or two record-breaking years, but a full 10-year series. This has been accompanied by devastating and extreme weather, rising sea levels and melting ice, all powered by record-breaking greenhouse gas levels due to human activities,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.
