Global warming continues to be an unprecedented challenge, with the latest data from the European Union's climate change monitoring service, Copernicus, revealing a continuing trend of rising temperatures. May 2025 was, according to their findings the second warmest May in recorded history, both on land and in the oceans. These alarming figures underscore the urgency of addressing the climate crisis and understanding its key indicators.

Global Average Surface Temperature: Near Critical Limit

The planet's average surface temperature in May 2025 fell just below the threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, only slightly behind the record set in May 2024. The Earth's surface was 1.4°C above pre-industrial benchmark (average from 1850 to 1900), which defines the period before the widespread use of fossil fuels. It is important to note that all but one of the previous 22 months exceeded this critical 1.5°C thresholdCarlo Buontempo, Director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, noted that May 2025 “breaks an unprecedentedly long sequence of months above 1.5°C”, which “may offer a brief respite for the planet”, but the 1.5°C threshold is expected to be exceeded again in the near future due to continued warming of the climate system. In the 12-month period from June 2024 to May 2025, warming reached an average of 1.57°C compared to the 1850-1900 reference value. However, the Paris Agreement target of limiting global warming to 1.5°C is set at a 20-year average to take into account natural variability. According to this methodology, the world has already warmed by at least 1.3 °CThe UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has said there is a 50 in 100 chance that the 1.5°C limit will be exceeded in line with these criteria between 2030 and 2035. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has said there is a 70 in 100 chance that the five-year period 2025–2029 will exceed the 1.5°C limit on average.

Ocean Warming and Marine Heat Waves

The oceans, which cover 70% of the Earth's surface and play a key role in regulating climate, are also experiencing extreme conditions. With surface temperatures At 20.79 °C, May 2025 was the second warmest month, right after May 2024. Vast areas of the northeast Atlantic experienced a marine heatwave, recording record surface temperatures for the month, with much of the Mediterranean Sea being much warmer than average. Marine heatwaves have devastating consequences: they cause migration of marine species, destroy coral reefs, damage ecosystems and reduce the mixing capacity of ocean layers, which hinders the distribution of nutrients. In addition, the warmed surface water causes increasingly strong storms, which leave behind new levels of destruction and flooding.

Drought and Wildfires: Extreme Conditions on Land

The effects of global warming are also being felt on land. Some parts of Europe have "experienced lowest levels of precipitation and soil moisture since at least 1979". Britain is facing its most intense drought in decades, with Denmark and the Netherlands also suffering from a lack of rain. The ongoing dry conditions have led to the lowest spring river flow in all of Europe since records began in 1992. At the same time, boreal forests in Canada, northern Europe and Siberia have recorded the second warmest spring in recorded history, which sparked wildfires in Canada, with two provinces declaring states of emergency. In just ten days in June 2025, more than 220 active fires burned across the country, half of which were classified as out of control.

Scientists repeatedly emphasize the importance of limiting global warming as soon as possible and as much as possible, because every fraction of a degree increases the risk of more deadly and destructive impacts on land and at sea. Limiting warming to 1.5°C instead of 2°C would significantly reduce the most catastrophic consequences. These latest data are a clear warning that global warming is an ongoing process with immediate and visible consequences around the world. Spring