WMO Declares 2025 as One of the Three Hottest Years on Record

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has issued a report confirming that 2025 was among the three hottest years ever documented globally, illustrating the escalating consequences of climate change.

In its latest release, the UN weather agency detailed that an evaluation of eight international climate datasets revealed that global average surface temperatures for 2025 were approximately 1.44 degrees Celsius above the 1850–1900 pre-industrial mean.

"WMO verifies that 2025 became one of the warmest years on record. The global average surface temperature was 1.44°C ± 0.13°C higher than the average from 1850 to 1900, as per the WMO's unified assessment of eight datasets," stated the organization.

The report indicated that two of the datasets categorized 2025 as the second warmest year within the 176-year history of global temperature tracking, while the other six classified it as the third warmest.

Moreover, the agency pointed out that the last eleven years have been notably warm in this modern era, with oceans persistently absorbing and retaining vast quantities of heat.

In Nigeria, escalating global temperatures have resulted in severe weather phenomena, including record-breaking heatwaves that have afflicted the nation for three successive years. Weather organizations like the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) have continually issued warnings to help citizens cope with the extreme heat.

In 2024, NiMet cautioned that elevated temperatures could result in dehydration, heat-related illnesses, and respiratory issues, predicting that northern Nigeria would face more severe heat than the southern regions.

This ongoing heat crisis has intensified the prevalence of heat-related illnesses such as meningitis, particularly in northern Nigeria, raising serious public health concerns. Additionally, these heatwaves have disrupted food security, making agricultural produce less available, accessible, and affordable in various regions. Food advocates have begun recommending that farmers consider drought-resistant and disease-resistant seeds to sustain agricultural productivity throughout the year.

Celeste Saulo, the Secretary-General of the WMO, stated that the rankings underscore the prolonged effects of greenhouse gas emissions, despite natural cooling phases. She noted, “2025 had a cooling La Niña effect at both its beginning and end, yet it was still recorded as one of the hottest years globally due to the buildup of heat-retaining greenhouse gases in our atmosphere.”

The WMO has also emphasized that while 2025 came in slightly cooler than the three-year average of 2023, it should not be mistaken for a reversal of the overarching warming trend. Stronger land and ocean temperatures in 2025 exacerbated extreme weather occurrences including severe heatwaves, heavy rainfall, and destructive tropical cyclones, reinforcing the need for investments in early warning mechanisms.

Furthermore, the organization determined that 2023, 2024, and 2025 represent the hottest three-year stretch on record, with 2024 being the single warmest year.

Reports from European Union scientists supported these conclusions, indicating that 2025 marked the conclusion of the first three-year period wherein average global temperatures surpassed 1.5 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels. They warned that surpassing this threshold could prompt grave and potentially irreversible climatic impacts.

Samantha Burgess, who leads climate strategy at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), remarked, “Every degree of temperature rise has significant effects. Reaching 1.5 degrees Celsius does not mean a sudden crisis point, but each fraction of a degree is crucial, especially concerning the intensification of extreme weather phenomena.” She concluded by suggesting that 2026 is projected to be among the five hottest years recorded, highlighting the critical need for immediate global climate action.