Arctic sees hottest year in 125 years, sea ice at 47-year low
The Arctic has recorded its hottest year in more than a century, with sea ice shrinking to its lowest March maximum in 47 years, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Qazinform News Agency cites Anadolu Agency.
From October 2024 to September 2025, the region experienced its highest temperatures in 125 years, capping a decade that includes the 10 warmest years on record. Scientists warn the Arctic is warming up to four times faster than the global average, driven by fossil fuel emissions, undermining its role as a key climate regulator.
In Arctic Alaska, thawing has turned more than 200 rivers and streams orange, with acidity and toxic metals threatening water quality, biodiversity, and fisheries.
In 2025, Arctic sea ice reached its lowest maximum in 47 years of satellite records, with the oldest and thickest ice having declined over 95% since the 1980s amid rising heat and rainfall.
The report warns that these rapid, interconnected changes will reshape Arctic communities and have far-reaching impacts on the global climate system, underscoring the urgent need for sustained research and monitoring.
Earlier Qazinform reported, 2025 is on track to tie 2023 as the world’s second-warmest year on record.
