January 2025 Sets Record for Global Temperatures, C3S Reports

January 2025 has been recorded as the warmest January globally, with temperatures significantly exceeding previous averages. The report highlights alarming trends in global temperatures, particularly in various regions globally, and underscores the critical need for action regarding climate change. The findings reveal that significant thresholds set by the Paris Agreement have been surpassed, calling for urgent policy responses.

January 2025 stands as the warmest January ever documented worldwide, with an average surface temperature 0.79 degrees Celsius above the January averages recorded from 1991 to 2000, according to a report from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). The temperature was also noted to be 1.75 degrees Celsius higher than the pre-industrial levels. Notably, across European land, the temperature soared by 2.51 degrees above the 1991-2000 average.

Regions outside Europe experiencing higher temperatures included northeast and northwest Canada, Alaska, and Siberia, as well as southern South America, Africa, much of Australia, and Antarctica. The average sea surface temperature from 60 degrees north to 60 degrees south reached 20.78 degrees Celsius, marking it as the second-highest January level recorded, surpassed only by January 2024.

Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of C3S, emphasized that “January 2025 is another surprising month, continuing the record temperatures observed throughout the last two years, despite the temporary cooling effect of La Niña conditions in the tropical Pacific.” Furthermore, the report stated that Arctic sea ice reached its lowest extent for January, measuring six percent below the average level.

The C3S additionally confirmed that 2024 was the first calendar year in which global average temperatures exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, surpassing a significant threshold established by the Paris Agreement. This agreement aims to restrict global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, with aspirations to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the current century.

The data presented in the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) report underscore alarming global temperature trends, highlighting the ongoing impact of climate change. The report serves as a critical warning, demonstrating that the world is not only experiencing unprecedented warmth but is also breaching significant climate thresholds established by international agreements like the Paris Accord. Such findings are pivotal for understanding the urgency of addressing climate change and the broader implications for environmental policy and global governance.

The report from the Copernicus Climate Change Service indicates a concerning trend of rising global temperatures, exemplified by January 2025 being the warmest on record. This situation warrants urgent action to address the impacts of climate change in accordance with international agreements. The alarming details regarding temperature thresholds and Arctic sea ice extent provide crucial insights for global leaders and policymakers moving forward.

Original Source: www.thestatesman.com