Our planet is getting hotter at a worrying speed. The latest temperature measurements from around the world show that April 2025 was the second-warmest April ever recorded in human history. This continues a very concerning pattern where almost two years of months have been unusually hot.
According to NDTV reporting on data from the Copernicus European Climate Agency, we are now seeing temperatures that are much higher than what was normal before humans started burning lots of coal and oil.
Understanding What These Temperature Records Actually Mean
When scientists talk about temperature records, they’re comparing today’s temperatures with what was considered normal in the past. The global average air temperature in April 2025 was 14.96 degrees Celsius. This might not sound very hot, but it’s actually a big problem. Scientists compare today’s temperatures with two important time periods: the recent past (1991-2020) and the time before we started using lots of machines and factories (1850-1900).
The most alarming finding is that the 12-month period from May 2024 to April 2025 was 1.58 degrees Celsius warmer than pre-industrial levels. This means our planet has been consistently hotter for a full year, not just during one unusually warm month. Samantha Burgess, who is the Deputy Director of Copernicus Climate Change Service, pointed out that April 2025 was the 21st month in the last 22 months with temperatures more than 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels.
Why the 1.5 Degree Celsius Number Is So Important
You might wonder why scientists keep talking about this specific number of 1.5 degrees. This number comes from the Paris Climate Agreement, which is an international promise made by countries around the world to limit how much the Earth warms up. Scientists have warned that if temperatures rise more than 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels, we could see very serious problems like more extreme weather, rising seas, and damage to nature.
The year 2024 was especially significant because it was the first full calendar year when global average temperature was above this important 1.5-degree limit. Now with April 2025 continuing this trend, it shows that staying below the Paris Agreement goal is becoming increasingly difficult. This isn’t just a number on a thermometer – it represents real changes happening to our planet.
Different Parts of the World Feeling Different Levels of Heat
Climate change doesn’t affect all places in the same way. Some areas get much hotter than others. In April 2025, the biggest temperature increases happened in specific regions:
- Eastern Europe, western Russia, and Kazakhstan experienced unusually high temperatures compared to what’s normal for April in these regions. These weren’t just slightly warmer days – they were significant departures from the expected temperature patterns.
- Norway also saw temperatures much higher than normal, which is concerning because northern countries are generally warming faster than areas closer to the equator.
- Most of North America was warmer than usual, with North Carolina and Virginia recording their second-warmest April temperatures ever measured.
- Parts of Australia and Antarctica also experienced higher-than-normal temperatures, showing that this warming is truly happening worldwide.
At the same time, some places were actually colder than normal. Turkey, parts of eastern Bulgaria and Romania, the Crimean Peninsula, and northern Fennoscandia (which includes parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia) experienced below-average temperatures. This might seem confusing, but climate scientists explain that even in a warming world, some areas can experience temporary cooling due to changes in weather patterns.
Ocean Temperatures and Sea Ice: More Signs of Warming
| Measurement | April 2025 Finding | What This Means |
|---|---|---|
| Sea Surface Temperature | 20.89 degrees Celsius | This is the second-highest temperature ever recorded for April. Warmer oceans can lead to stronger storms and affect marine life that can’t adapt to higher temperatures. |
| Arctic Sea Ice | 3% below average | This is the sixth lowest extent in 47 years of records. Less ice means the Arctic reflects less sunlight back to space, which can speed up warming even more. |
| Antarctic Sea Ice | 10% below average | This is the tenth lowest on record. Antarctica losing ice is particularly concerning because it contains enough water to raise sea levels dramatically if it melts. |
The warming oceans are especially important because water can absorb and store much more heat than air. When oceans get warmer, they expand and take up more space, which contributes to rising sea levels. Warmer oceans also provide more energy for storms and can disrupt the habitats of fish and other marine life.
How Scientists Track These Temperature Changes
You might wonder how scientists can know the temperature of the entire planet. The Copernicus Climate Change Service uses a system called the ERA5 reanalysis dataset to collect and verify temperature data. This isn’t just a few thermometers – it’s a complex system that combines:
- Satellite measurements that can observe large areas of the Earth from space, giving scientists a broad view of temperature patterns across oceans, deserts, forests, and other hard-to-reach places.
- Weather stations on land that record temperatures about 2 meters above the ground, providing precise measurements at thousands of specific locations.
- Ships and aircraft that collect data while traveling, helping to fill in gaps in remote areas like the middle of oceans.
- Computer models that combine all this information with the laws of physics to create a complete picture of Earth’s temperature.
For sea temperatures, they measure about 10 meters below the surface using special systems called OSTIA and HadISST2. All this data is updated daily and arranged on a grid that divides the Earth into small squares about 28 kilometers on each side. This careful method helps ensure the temperature records are accurate and reliable.
What These Warming Trends Mean for Our Future
The continued warming we’re seeing is directly linked to human activities, especially burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas. These fuels release greenhouse gases that trap heat in our atmosphere. April 2025’s near-record temperatures are not just a one-time event but part of a clear pattern showing our planet is getting warmer.
As this warming continues, we can expect to see more extreme weather events like stronger hurricanes, longer droughts, and more intense heat waves. The goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius is looking increasingly difficult to achieve, which means countries around the world will need to make even bigger cuts to greenhouse gas emissions and possibly develop new technologies to remove carbon from the atmosphere. The temperature records from April 2025 are a clear reminder that climate change is happening now, not in some distant future.
