April 2025 has been confirmed as the second hottest April on record, with global surface air temperatures once again exceeding the critical 1.5°C threshold above pre-industrial levels, according to data released by the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).
The report revealed that global temperatures in April were 0.6°C above the 1991–2020 average and 1.51°C warmer than the pre-industrial baseline (1850–1900). This marks the 21st time in the past 22 months that global average temperatures have breached the 1.5°C limit, a threshold identified by scientists as crucial for avoiding the worst impacts of climate change.
From May 2024 to April 2025, the average global temperature was 1.58°C above pre-industrial levels, underscoring the sustained nature of the current warming trend. The findings are based on a comprehensive analysis of billions of data points collected from satellites, ships, aircraft, and weather stations across the globe.
Notably, this persistent heat occurred despite the onset of a La Niña event in the Pacific Ocean—a phenomenon typically associated with global cooling.
Sea surface temperatures outside the polar regions averaged 20.89°C, making it the second warmest April for ocean temperatures, trailing only the record set in April 2024.
In Europe, the average land temperature was 9.38°C—1.01°C above the 1991–2020 average—making it the sixth warmest April recorded for the continent. Eastern Europe, western Russia, Kazakhstan, and Norway experienced particularly high temperature anomalies.
Warmer-than-average conditions were also reported across the Russian Far East, much of west-central Asia, North America, parts of Australia, and areas of Antarctica. However, some regions experienced cooler-than-average temperatures, including southern South America, eastern Canada, northern Australia, northeastern Greenland, and parts of East Antarctica.
In the Arctic, sea ice extent was 3% below average, ranking as the sixth lowest April extent in the 47-year satellite record. Antarctic sea ice extent was also significantly reduced, at 10% below average, the 10th lowest for the month.
Samantha Burgess, Strategic Lead for Climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, which operates C3S, emphasized the urgency of the findings:
“Globally, April 2025 was the second hottest April on record, continuing the long sequence of months over 1.5°C above pre-industrial. Continuous climate monitoring is an essential tool for understanding and responding to the ongoing changes of our climate system,” she said.
About the Author
Discover more from VOICE OF THE PEOPLE
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
