The Warmest January ever Recorder
Highlights for January 2025
January 2025 was the warmest on record globally, despite an emerging La Niña
In January 2025, global surface air temperatures reached unprecedented levels, marking the warmest January on record. The planet’s average temperature hit 13.23°C, which is 0.79°C higher than the 1991-2020 average for January and 1.75°C above pre-industrial levels.
And if that sounds concerning, consider this: this is the 18th time in the past 19 months that global temperatures have exceeded the crucial 1.5°C threshold above pre-industrial levels. Climate change isn’t a distant threat—it’s happening right now.
Where Did It Get Hot (and Where Didn’t It).
Europe was 2.51°C warmer than the 1991-2020 average, making it the second-hottest January on record, just behind 2020. Southern and eastern Europe, including parts of western Russia, saw the most significant temperature increases. If you were in these regions, winter might have felt more like spring. Conversely, Iceland, the UK, Ireland, northern France, and parts of Scandinavia actually saw below-average temperatures.
North America & Asia was like a climate rollercoaster. The northeast and northwest of Canada, Alaska, and Siberia saw unusual warmth. Meanwhile, the United States and parts of eastern Russia experienced colder-than-normal conditions. If you were in these areas, winter probably felt more like, well, winter.
Other Regions: Southern South America, Africa, Australia, and even Antarctica all saw above-average temperatures. Meanwhile, the Arabian Peninsula and mainland Southeast Asia experienced below-average temperatures.
What’s Happening in the Oceans?
January 2025 recorded the second-highest sea surface temperatures (SSTs) ever for this month, averaging 20.78°C-—second only to January 2024.
El Niño supercharged ocean temperatures in late 2023 and early 2024, but now the transition to La Niña is slowing down. While the central Pacific cooled, the eastern Pacific stayed warmer than expected, leaving experts wondering what’s next.
Beyond the Pacific, many parts of the ocean are still heating up, from the Atlantic and Indian Oceans to the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and Mediterranean Sea. But not everywhere—some areas, like the North Atlantic and South Pacific, actually cooled.
Bottom line? The oceans are staying hotter for longer, fuelling climate shifts, extreme weather, and marine disruptions. The data is clear: urgent action is needed to slow the trend.
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Notes:
Hottest January on record shocks scientists |Financial Times
The US is freezing and La Nina usually eases warming. Earth just set another heat record anyway | AP News
Year begins with warmest January despite shift towards cooling La Nina | Reuters
Not the warmest Jan in Michigan