Ocean warming at record highs
The World Meteorological Organization says ocean warming has reached record levels and will continue “for hundreds, if not thousands, of years,” effectively locking in a long‑term planetary energy imbalance. That endurance raises urgent adaptation and mitigation pressures—sea‑level and climate impacts are now baked into planning time horizons for decades to come. (france24.com)
WMO data show global ocean heat content measured to 2,000 metres set a new high in 2025, surpassing the previous record from 2024. (wmo.int) The WMO reports the rate of ocean warming more than doubled when comparing 1960–2005 with 2005–2025. (wmo.int) The International Academy of Sciences analysis quantified the 2025 increase in upper‑2000m ocean heat content at about 23 ± 8 zettajoules relative to 2024. (link.springer.com) Climate monitoring agencies estimate the ocean stores more than 91% of the excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases. (climate.gov) WMO also calculates the ocean has absorbed an amount of energy equivalent to roughly 18 times annual global human energy use each year over the past two decades. (wmo.int) For the first time the WMO included Earth’s energy imbalance as a headline indicator and found it reached its highest level in the 65‑year observational record in 2025. (wmo.int) Global mean sea level remained at record highs for the 13th consecutive year, with satellite altimetry reporting about 105.8 mm above the 1993 reference average. (ametsoc.org) Disaster databases and reinsurers recorded large economic impacts linked to the warming-driven extremes: EM‑DAT reports global economic losses of US$241.95 billion and 167.2 million people affected by natural‑hazard disasters in 2024, while Swiss Re estimated roughly US$310 billion in global disaster losses that year. (reliefweb.int)
