Global temperatures exceed previous highs, with experts warning of escalating climate breakdown.
January 2025 has been confirmed as the hottest January ever recorded, according to new data that has left scientists stunned. Global temperatures last month were 1.75°C higher than pre-industrial levels, surpassing the previous record set in January 2024 by 0.1°C. This record-breaking heat follows a year where temperatures also exceeded the 1.5°C threshold—the goal set in international climate negotiations—for the first time.
The rise in temperatures, despite expectations of cooling from the Pacific’s ocean currents, has baffled researchers. Dr Friederike Otto, a climate scientist from Imperial College London, stressed that the continued reliance on fossil fuels was driving this dangerous warming. She cautioned that this accelerated pace of climate change would lead to more extreme weather events, referencing the recent devastating wildfires in Los Angeles as a stark warning.
“This January is the hottest on record because countries continue to burn enormous amounts of coal, oil, and gas,” Dr Otto said. “We’ll face even more extreme weather events in 2025.”
Bill McGuire, emeritus professor of geophysical and climate hazards at UCL, echoed these concerns, describing the ongoing rise in temperatures as “frankly terrifying.” He pointed out that January’s record temperatures occurred despite the onset of La Niña, a weather phenomenon typically associated with cooler global temperatures. “Having surpassed the 1.5°C limit in 2024, the climate is showing no signs of cooling,” McGuire added, referencing recent catastrophic events like the floods in Valencia and the wildfires in Los Angeles.
In the UK, the consequences of warming are already visible. Increased rainfall has led to higher risks of flooding, with the Environment Agency reporting that 4.6 million properties in England are at risk, marking a 43% increase from previous estimates.
However, adapting to these changes is an expensive undertaking. In response, the UK government has pledged £2.65 billion over the next two years to bolster flood defences and protect an additional 52,000 homes and businesses. But this figure represents only a small fraction of the properties at risk.
