Earth’s climate system is now more disrupted than at any point in recorded history, with scientists warning that the planet has entered a dangerous phase of imbalance driven by human activity.
According to the latest global climate assessment, the period from 2015 to 2025 marks the 11 hottest years ever recorded, underscoring an accelerating warming trend.
The report finds that 2025 ranks among the top three warmest years, with global temperatures about 1.43°C above pre-industrial levels (1850-1900). This steady rise in temperatures is no longer seen as natural variation but as a clear signal of long-term climate change.
“Scientific advances have improved our understanding of the Earth’s energy imbalance and of the reality facing our planet and our climate right now,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo. “Human activities are increasingly disrupting the natural equilibrium, and we will live with these consequences for hundreds and thousands of years.”
“On a day-to-day basis, our weather has become more extreme. In 2025, heatwaves, wildfires, drought, tropical cyclones, storms and flooding caused thousands of deaths, impacted millions of people and caused billions in economic losses,” said Celeste Saulo.
WHAT DOES THE WMO REPORT SAY?
At the heart of the crisis is what scientists call the Earth’s energy imbalance, a measure of how much heat the planet absorbs versus how much it radiates back into space.
Ideally, this balance should remain stable. However, rising concentrations of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, now at their highest levels in hundreds of thousands to millions of years, have disrupted this equilibrium.
As a result, more heat is being trapped within the Earth’s system than ever before. The report notes that this imbalance has been rising since the 1960s and reached a new record high in 2025.
Much of this excess heat, over 90%, is being absorbed by the oceans, which are now warming at unprecedented rates. Ocean heat content has hit record levels for nearly a decade, with warming accelerating significantly since 2005. This has far-reaching consequences, including stronger storms, marine heatwaves, and coral bleaching.
Meanwhile, the planet’s ice reserves are shrinking rapidly. Arctic sea ice is at or near record lows, Antarctic ice levels are among the lowest ever observed, and glaciers worldwide continue to melt at alarming rates.
These changes are contributing to rising sea levels, which have increased by about 11 cm since 1993 and are accelerating.
Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and intense. In 2025 alone, heatwaves, floods, wildfires, and powerful storms caused widespread destruction, affecting millions of people and causing billions in economic losses.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres described the situation starkly, warning that “every key climate indicator is flashing red” and that the planet is being pushed “beyond its limits.”
Scientists say the implications go beyond the environment. Climate change is increasingly linked to food insecurity, health risks such as heat stress and disease spread, and large-scale displacement of people.
The findings serve as a stark warning: without urgent action to cut emissions and adapt to a warming world, the imbalance in Earth’s climate system could have consequences lasting centuries, reshaping life on the planet as we know it.
