Planet hit record heat
The UN weather agency says 2015–2025 was the hottest decade on record and Earth’s energy imbalance reached unprecedented levels, a sign the planet is "being pushed beyond its limits" and that more extreme weather is likely as El Niño approaches. (reuters.com) Scientists warn oceans are absorbing most of this excess heat, driving sea‑level rise and long‑lasting impacts that could persist for millennia. (theguardian.com) (irishexaminer.com)
For the first time the WMO included Earth’s energy imbalance as a core indicator and reported it reached its highest value in the 65‑year observational record. (wmo.int) WMO’s consolidated analysis places 2025 at about 1.43 ± 0.13 °C above the 1850–1900 baseline, and the three‑year average for 2023–2025 at roughly 1.48 ± 0.13 °C above pre‑industrial levels. (wmo.int) The agency estimates the global ocean has been absorbing the equivalent of about 18 times the annual human energy use each year over the past two decades, making 2025 one of the warmest years on record for ocean heat content. (wmo.int) Global mean sea level rose at an annual rate of about 4.75 mm from 2012–2025 compared with 2.65 mm per year for 1993–2011, keeping 2025 near the record high levels seen in 2024. (wmo.int) The WMO flagged both Arctic sea‑ice extent at or near record lows and Antarctic sea‑ice extent at its third‑lowest level, while glacier mass balance continued to decline across monitored ranges. (wmo.int) The report says extreme weather events over the 2015–2025 period have impacted millions of people and have imposed economic losses running into the billions of dollars on interconnected economies and supply chains. (wmo.int) Operational forecasters from NOAA and WMO in March 2026 placed ENSO in a transition toward ENSO‑neutral for spring with the probability of El Niño rising into mid‑to‑late 2026 (NOAA’s CPC notes El Niño is likely in June–August 2026). (cpc.ncep.noaa.gov)
