Thu Feb 06 05:21:22 UTC 2025: ## Record-Breaking January Temperatures Despite La Niña
**New Delhi, February 6, 2025** – January 2025 was the warmest January on record globally, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), despite the presence of La Niña, a climate pattern typically associated with cooler temperatures. The average global temperature reached 13.23 degrees Celsius, exceeding the previous record set in January 2024 by 0.09 degrees and surpassing the 1991-2020 average by 0.79 degrees. This marks the 18th month out of the last 19 where global temperatures have remained above 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
The C3S reported that January’s temperature was 1.75 degrees Celsius higher than pre-industrial levels, adding to concerns about the accelerating pace of climate change. While La Niña showed signs in the central Pacific, unusually high ocean temperatures in the eastern Pacific suggest the shift towards La Niña may be slowing or stalling. This unexpected warming trend follows 2024 being declared the warmest year on record, with global temperatures exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels for the first time.
Further contributing to the alarming trend, Arctic sea ice extent reached its lowest January level in recent history, falling 6% below average. The unusually high sea surface temperatures globally also reached their second highest January level on record. Although the Paris Agreement’s 1.5-degree Celsius limit refers to long-term averages, the persistent exceedance of this threshold highlights the urgent need for climate action. Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of C3S, emphasized the surprising nature of these record temperatures despite La Niña’s typically cooling effect.
First Piper 