2025 is shaping up to be another scorching year. According to the European observatory Copernicus, August 2025 was the third hottest August on record. This highlights the ongoing warming trend we’re seeing globally, especially in Western Europe and Asia.
The Copernicus report reveals that average temperatures on Earth and in the oceans surpassed the pre-industrial era average by 1.29°C. Only Augusts of 2023 and 2024 have been hotter.
Meteorological authorities in countries like China, Japan, Portugal, and the UK have reported that summer 2025 is their hottest on record. This trend is alarming for our planet.
Samantha Burgess from Copernicus noted that southwestern Europe faced its third major heatwave this summer, leading to devastating forest fires across the Iberian Peninsula and southwestern France.
Some staggering statistics include:
- In Spain, a 16-day heatwave claimed over 1,100 lives, according to the Carlos III Health Institute.
- French cities like Bordeaux, Bergerac, and Angouleme set historical temperature records of 41.6°C, 42.1°C, and 42.3°C, respectively.
- High temperatures were also reported in Siberia, parts of Antarctica, China, the Korean Peninsula, Japan, and the Middle East.
The rising ocean temperatures and increased extreme weather events underline the urgent need for action on climate change. This isn’t just about August; July 2023 still holds the title for the hottest month ever recorded. Climate change is accelerating, and we need to pay attention.
In addition, Norway, Sweden, and Finland experienced an unprecedented heatwave starting mid-July, with temperatures soaring above 30°C for over two weeks. Finland recorded 22 consecutive days above this threshold, and even parts of the Norwegian Arctic Circle saw unusual warmth.
A study by World Weather Attribution found that climate change intensified this heatwave, making temperatures about 2°C warmer than they would have been without human influence. The likelihood of these events is now at least ten times higher. If fossil fuel dependency continues, such heatwaves could become five times more frequent by the end of the century.
We need to seriously rethink our reliance on fossil fuels. Continued trends will lead to even more severe heatwaves in the future. Ignoring these changes is not an option.
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climate change,global temperature,global warming,heat,temperature