The past 11 years have been the 11 warmest on record by WMO, Copernicus Climate Change Service   Jan. 2026   The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has confirmed that 2025 was one of the three warmest years on record, continuing the streak of extraordinary global temperatures.   The past 11 years have been the 11 warmest on record, and ocean heating continues unabated.   The global average surface temperature was 1.44 °C above the 1850-1900 average, according to WMO’s consolidated analysis of eight datasets.   Two of these datasets ranked 2025 as the second warmest year in the 176-year record, and the other six ranked it as the third warmest year.   The past three years, 2023-2025, are the three warmest years in all eight datasets. The consolidated three-year average 2023-2025 temperature is 1.48 °C (with a margin of uncertainty of ± 0.13 °C) above the pre-industrial era. The past eleven years, 2015-2025, are the eleven warmest years in all eight datasets.   “The year 2025 started and ended with a cooling La Nina and yet it was still one of the warmest years on record globally because of the accumulation of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. High land and ocean temperatures helped fuel extreme weather – heatwaves, heavy rainfall and intense tropical cyclones, underlining the vital need for early warning systems,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.   The World Meteorological Organization added that the high temperatures on land and sea last year helped to fuel extreme weather, including heatwaves, heavy rainfall and deadly tropical cyclones.   A separate study published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences said that ocean temperatures were also among the highest on record in 2025, reflecting the long-term accumulation of heat within the climate system. About 90% of excess heat from global warming is stored in the ocean, making ocean heat a critical indicator of climate change.   The European Union’s Copernicus climate agency published a report based on data from climate-monitoring organizations, including NASA and the World Meteorological Organization. Based on weather readings from global satellites and weather stations, the report found that, for the first time in recorded history, global temperatures over a three-year period have exceeded the critical threshold of 1.5°C above preindustrial levels.   At current rates of heating, the report found, the Earth could surpass the Paris Climate Accord’s target of 1.5°C on a long-term basis by 2030, more than a decade sooner than scientists’ projection when nations negotiated the pledge to reduce emissions back in 2015.   “Atmospheric data from 2025 paints a clear picture: Human activity remains the dominant driver of the exceptional temperatures we are observing,” said Laurence Rouil, the director of Copernicus’ Atmosphere Monitoring Service. “Atmospheric greenhouse gases have steadily increased over the last 10 years.”   Scientists have urged nations to take swift action in the hope of avoiding the 1.5°C tipping point. Carlo Buontempo, the director of Copernicus, said following Wednesday’s report that “we are bound to pass it. The choice we now have is how to best manage the inevitable overshoot and its consequences on societies and natural systems.”   “Extreme weather isn’t rare anymore—it’s driving up food prices, water shortages, and upending daily life across the globe,” said Savio Carvalho, the director for campaigns and networks for the climate activist group 350. “Governments know fossil fuels are the cause of climate breakdown, yet they keep stalling on the transition to renewable energy systems. We don’t have the luxury of wasting time or taking side paths, we are running out of time.”   http://wmo.int/news/media-centre/wmo-confirms-2025-was-one-of-warmest-years-record http://climate.copernicus.eu/global-climate-highlights-2025 http://climate.copernicus.eu/rapid-approach-15degc-global-warming-threshold-paris-agreement http://news.un.org/en/story/2026/01/1166758 http://350.org/press-release/fossil-fuel-phaseout-urgent-as-1-5c-target-likely-to-be-passed-by-2030/ http://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/ Visit the related web page
	Rising temperatures are fuelling extreme weather events by UN News, WMO, agencies   4 Dec. 2025   Deadly storms sweep South and Southeast Asia, leaving over 1,600 dead. (UN News)   From Sri Lanka’s central highlands to Indonesia’s flood-swollen river basins, a wave of climate-fuelled cyclones and monsoon rains has unleashed one of the deadliest weather patterns south and southeast Asia has seen in years, killing more than 1,600 people, displacing hundreds of thousands and affecting millions.   Since mid-November, overlapping tropical storms and intensified monsoon systems have triggered catastrophic flooding and landslides across Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Viet Nam.   UN teams across the region are supporting government-led emergency operations with food, health, water and sanitation aid, medical deployments and early recovery assessments, as heavy rains continue and fears grow that the crisis could deepen.   Warm ocean temperatures and shifting storm tracks have produced extreme rainfall in areas that historically faced lower cyclone risk.   Across the region, nearly 11 million people have been affected, including about 1.2 million forced from their homes into shelters, while roads, utilities and farmlands have been washed away.   Sri Lanka bore some of the worst impacts after Cyclone Ditwah made landfall on 28 November, triggering floods and landslides across nearly the entire island.   The highest death tolls were reported in the hill districts of Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Badulla, where landslides swept through plantation communities. Severe flooding also inundated western and north-western districts – including Colombo’s outer suburbs – disrupting markets, transport and water supplies. Children have been especially hard hit, with more than 275,000 estimated to be affected.   In Indonesia, relentless downpours between 22 and 25 November triggered deadly floods and landslides across Aceh, West Sumatra and North Sumatra, devastating dozens of districts.   Official figures indicate more than 830 deaths, with at least 500 people still missing, and more than 880,000 displaced. In total, over three million people have been affected by floodwaters, collapsed hillsides and destroyed infrastructure.   Entire villages have been submerged, bridges washed away and roads cut off, isolating communities and slowing rescue efforts. Emergency teams are relying on helicopters and boats to deliver aid to areas unreachable by land.   Moving east, intensified monsoon rains have battered southern Thailand, where 12 provinces have been affected.   At least 185 people have died, with 367 missing and over four million people impacted. More than 219,000 residents have been displaced as rivers burst their banks and low-lying coastal areas flooded.   In neighbouring Malaysia, flooding across eight northern and central states has displaced around 37,000 people. Authorities continue to issue evacuation orders and weather warnings as rain persists.   Viet Nam is confronting the cumulative toll of one of its harshest typhoon seasons in years. Since October, a succession of storms has flooded and damaged large swathes of the country, particularly in northern and central provinces.   Persistent downpours since mid-November, compounded by Tropical Cyclone Koto, have triggered new landslides and prolonged displacement. A national joint response plan is under way to address food insecurity, health risks and damaged infrastructure.   UN agencies say the storms reflect a broader shift toward more intense and unpredictable weather across the Asia-Pacific. Cyclone Ditwah tracked unusually far south along Sri Lanka’s coast, while Cyclone Senyar formed near the equator in the Strait of Malacca – a rare occurrence.   The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), in its latest report issued last week, warned that rising temperatures are fundamentally reshaping the region’s risk landscape.   2 Dec. 2025   Devastating rainfall in Asia claims hundreds of lives. (WMO)   Warmer ocean waters are increasing the potential for extreme rainfall, while rapid urban growth, deforestation and wetland loss are magnifying flood impacts. Even where early warnings were issued, fast-rising waters overwhelmed evacuation routes in some locations.   Devastating rainfall has triggered catastrophic flooding in parts of South and Southeast Asia, claiming hundreds of lives, displacing entire communities and causing massive economic disruption.   Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Viet Nam are among the countries currently worst affected by a combination of monsoon-related rainfall and tropical cyclone activity.   Asia is highly vulnerable to floods, according to the WMO’s State of the Climate in Asia reports. Rising temperatures increase the potential risk of more extreme rainfall because a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture.   “The Asia-Pacific region faces the most intense and frequent tropical cyclone activity in the world. Record-breaking rainfall, storm surges and floods displace millions and cause billions of dollars in economic losses,” WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said.   Monthly Seasonal Climate Outlook Briefings and Scans, highlighting the increased probabilities of above and well above-normal precipitation across several parts of Southeast Asia and the Maritime Continent, and that such prolonged conditions would contribute to increased flood risk. The seasonal climate outlook for South Asia for October to December said that above-normal rainfall is likely across much of central, eastern, and southern South Asia.   Global HydroMet Weekly Scan, issued on 20 and 26 Nov, referring to heavy / very heavy rain, intense thunderstorms, strong winds and storm surge (flash floods / landslides / floods likely) in Sri Lanka, south-eastern India, southern Thailand, Viet Nam, western Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines, including the possible tropical cyclones formation and evolution.   Temperature increase is accelerating in Arab Region. (WMO)   “2024 was the hottest year on record for the Arab region – a continuation of a long-term trend. Temperatures are rising at twice the global average, with intense heatwaves that are pushing society to the limits.   Human health, ecosystems and economies can’t cope with extended spells of more than 50 °Celsius – it is simply too hot to handle.   Droughts are becoming more frequent and severe in one of the world’s most water-stressed regions. And at the same time, we have seen some disruptive and dangerous deluges,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.   The average temperature in 2024 was 1.08 °C above the 1991-2020 average. The length of heatwaves has increased, especially in North Africa and the Near East, with a clear upward trend since 1981, it says. A number of countries reported temperatures of above 50 °C in 2024.   Drought worsened in 2024 in western North Arica after six consecutive failed rainy seasons, especially over Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. Conversely – extreme rainfall and flash floods caused death and destruction in otherwise arid countries including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.   The frequency and severity of extreme weather and climate events have increased significantly, with an 83% rise in recorded disasters between 1980–1999 and 2000–2019.   “Climate models covering the Arab region project a potential rise in average temperatures of up to 5°C by the end of the century under high-emission scenarios. Rising sea levels also threaten coastal cities. Declining rainfall affects water scarcity and jeopardizes food production", said Rola Dashti Executive Secretary of Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia.   http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/12/1166516 http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/12/1166509 http://news.un.org/en/tags/extreme-weather http://wmo.int/media/news/devastating-rainfall-asia-claims-hundreds-of-lives http://wmo.int/media/news/temperature-increase-accelerating-arab-region-escalating-impacts http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/over-275000-children-affected-sri-lanka-following-devastating-cyclone http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/millions-children-southeast-asia-affected-relentless-climate-related-disasters http://www.unocha.org/publications/report/sri-lanka/sri-lanka-humanitarian-priorities-plan-cyclone-ditwa http://www.care.org/media-and-press/millions-still-struggling-across-south-and-southeast-asia-after-massive-flooding-landslides/ http://www.careinternational.org.uk/press-office/press-releases/cop30-offers-too-little-as-global-solidarity-fades-failing-vulnerable-communities/   http://www.worldweatherattribution.org/increasing-heavy-rainfall-and-extreme-flood-heights-in-a-warming-climate-threaten-densely-populated-regions-across-sri-lanka-and-the-malacca-strait/ http://www.climatecentre.org/16365/millions-affected-by-severe-flooding-across-asia/ http://www.worldweatherattribution.org/ten-years-of-the-paris-agreement-the-present-and-future-of-extreme-heat/ http://www.worldweatherattribution.org/unequal-evidence-and-impacts-limits-to-adaptation-extreme-weather-in-2025/ http://climate.copernicus.eu/copernicus-2025-course-be-joint-second-warmest-year-november-third-warmest-record http://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/75/12/1016/8303627 Visit the related web page
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