In a chilling warning backed by hard data, the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service announced that each of the past 12 consecutive months has been the warmest on record when compared year-on-year — making the June 2024 to May 2025 stretch the hottest 12-month period since global records began in 1940.
According to Copernicus, the global average temperature for this period stood at 1.63°C above pre-industrial levels, surpassing all historical benchmarks and underscoring the rapid acceleration of human-induced climate change.
The announcement has added urgency to global climate conversations, with UN Secretary-General António Guterres stating:
“We are hurtling toward a climate hell with our foot still firmly on the accelerator. Immediate action is essential if we want to avoid irreversible damage.”
- 12-month global average temperature: +1.63°C above pre-industrial levels
- Record-keeping began: 1940
- Threshold for long-term global warming danger: 1.5°C (as defined by the Paris Agreement)
- Current measurement period: June 2024 – May 2025
While this record-breaking heat does not yet mean the world has permanently crossed the 1.5°C threshold — which refers to sustained warming over several decades — scientists warn that this trend reflects the planet edging closer to that critical tipping point.
Extreme weather events — from raging wildfires to record-breaking heatwaves and devastating floods — have already become more frequent, aligning with climate models that predicted escalating consequences if global emissions aren’t drastically curtailed.
With global leaders set to meet for the next UN Climate Conference (COP30) in Brazil, the latest data is expected to fuel renewed calls for transformative policy shifts, accelerated renewable energy adoption, and stronger commitments to net-zero targets.
“The science is irrefutable, and the time to act is now,” Guterres emphasized. “Delaying action is no longer an option.”
