Earth’s balance at its most unstable in recorded history

The WMO’s State of the Global Climate 2025 report, published on World Meteorological Day, confirms that the period from 2015 to 2025 represents the 11 hottest years ever recorded. The year 2025 ranked as the second or third warmest on record, with global temperatures about 1.43°C higher than the average before large-scale industrial activity.

Scientists say the growing gap between energy entering and leaving Earth has reached its highest level since measurements began in 1960. This imbalance is largely driven by rising concentrations of heat trapping gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide.

“The State of the Global Climate is in a state of emergency. Planet Earth is being pushed beyond its limits. Every key climate indicator is flashing red. Humanity has just endured the eleven hottest years on record. When history repeats itself eleven times, it is no longer a coincidence. It is a call to act,” said António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations.

The report highlights the crucial role of the world’s oceans in slowing warming. Over the past two decades, the oceans have absorbed heat equivalent to about 18 times the amount of energy humans use globally each year.

More than 90% of excess heat-trapped by greenhouse gases is now stored in the oceans, which act as a buffer against even higher temperatures on land. However, ocean heat content reached another record level in 2025, and the rate of warming has more than doubled since the early 2000s.

Sea levels rising

The warming ocean is accelerating the loss of ice around the planet. Arctic sea ice in 2025 was at or near a record low, while Antarctic sea ice was the third lowest recorded.

Glaciers also continued to shrink rapidly, with especially severe losses reported in Iceland and along the Pacific coast of North America. As ice melts and ocean water expands from heat, global sea levels continue to rise and have climbed about 11 centimeters since satellite measurements began in 1993.

Scientists warn that ocean warming and sea level rise will continue for centuries, even if emissions fall.

Extreme weather

The report says extreme weather is becoming more frequent and destructive. In 2025 alone, heatwaves, wildfires, storms, droughts and flooding caused thousands of deaths, affected millions of people and led to billions of dollars in economic damage.

These disasters can also trigger wider crises. Crop losses linked to extreme weather are increasing the risk of food shortages, while storms and floods are forcing more people to leave their homes.

Climate change is also affecting human health. Warmer temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns are helping diseases spread to new regions, including dengue, which has become the world’s fastest growing mosquito borne illness.

Growing risks for workers

Rising heat is also creating new dangers in the workplace. Around one third of the global workforce, about 1.2 billion people, face dangerous heat exposure at some point each year, especially in sectors such as agriculture and construction.

Despite these risks, only about half of the world’s countries currently have heat warning systems designed to protect public health.

The WMO says better monitoring of weather and climate conditions is essential to help governments prepare for future threats and protect communities.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Chinese scientists uncovered drivers of divergent climate changes across Asia.