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Hottest Year On Record:  Fresh data released by the Copernicus Climate Change Service shows that the planet is on course to record its second-hottest year in 2025, matching 2023 and falling just short of the historic peak registered in 2024.

The European climate agency said that global temperatures between January and November stood 1.48°C above the pre-industrial level, which is an alarming indication that the world is edging toward the 1.5°C danger line set in the Paris Agreement.

Three-Year Average Likely To Breach 1.5°C

According to C3S scientists, the average temperature for 2023-2025 is almost certain to exceed 1.5°C for the first time. Although the target refers to a 30-year average and not to a single year, the trend highlights how rapidly the climate system is warming.

Dr. Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at Copernicus, noted that the markers “are not abstract milestones” but a reflection of the accelerating pace of human-driven warming. She urged nations to move faster in slashing greenhouse gas emissions.

Highlights Growing Climate Instability

The latest climate bulletin arrives after a year scarred by extreme weather disasters across Asia and the Americas. Tropical cyclones, prolonged floods, and severe storms pounded several countries, claiming thousands of lives.

Southeast Asia experienced disastrous flooding in November as the Philippines felt the brunt of consecutive typhoons, which killed at least 260 people. Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand were also widely inundated, affecting millions. Scientists attribute such intensifying events to a hotter atmosphere that traps more moisture, fueling heavier rainfall and stronger storms.

While 2024's record temperatures were driven partly by a strong El Niño, 2025 began under weak La Niña conditions, which typically cool the planet. Yet global temperatures remained exceptionally high, largely due to unabated fossil fuel emissions that reached new records this year. Arctic sea ice extent has fallen to its lowest levels for this time of year, while Antarctic sea ice remains well below average, which indicates of rapid polar destabilisation.

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Global Climate Action Falters

International climate negotiations remain an uphill battle. The COP30 summit, held in Brazil last month, failed to reach a consensus on how to phase out fossil fuels amid opposition from energy-producing countries. UN Secretary-General António Guterres had earlier cautioned that overshooting the 1.5°C ceiling is now “inevitable”, stressing the need to strengthen early warning systems and invest in adaptation to protect vulnerable regions.

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Climate researchers warn that several irreversible tipping points, including the collapse of major ice sheets and large-scale degradation of tropical rainforests, are being approached faster than previously thought. “There is no cliff at 1.5°C, but the risks escalate sharply as we move beyond it,” Burgess said.

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