NOAA National Center for Environmental Information (NCEI) On February 12, NOAA National Center for Environmental Information (NASA) also rated January 2025 at 1.59 degrees Celsius 1.59 degrees Celsius, the first month of 2025. (2.86°F) is higher than the 1880-1899 period, which is the best estimate of pre-industry temperature occurrence. This beats the previous record in January 2024 by 0.12 degrees Celsius (0.22°F). European Copernicus Climate Change Service and Berkeley Earth also set January 2025 as the warmest January on record.
According to NOAA, the January in the global land region has a long history, with a historical record in 2025, and the January in the global ocean is the second warmer one. January in Oceania is the second warm water; January in Europe and Asia is the third place. South America, the fourth reward; Africa is the fifth Woolster; and North America, the tenth warmth.
The United States has been in a row with temperatures below average in January, recording the coldest January since 1988 and the coldest average since December 2000.
Unexpected records
The January record is surprising as it beat last year's record. By then, a powerful El Niño incident had gone all out, raising global temperatures. But in January 2025, the Eastern Pacific region was higher than average due to weak events classified as LaNiña by NOAA. Beating the monthly temperature record in LaNiña activities is very unusual. Climatologist Brian Bretschneider (see Skeet below) noted that the first three warmest Januarys occurred during the El Niño event, when warm sea waters in the eastern Pacific raised global temperatures by about 0.2 degrees Celsius.
but, The current LaNiña event is weak. The Australian Meteorological Agency does not recognize this, saying we are currently in ENSO neutral conditions, although the sea surface temperature pattern is consistent with the developing LaNiña. (Remember that the bureau uses a stricter threshold for LaNiña conditions than NOAA. In KeyNiño 3.4 region of the eastern tropical Pacific region, sea surface temperatures must be at least below seasonal average, not 0.5 degrees. – Degrees used by NOAA Threshold. )
One of the reasons for the record January 2025 warmth is that the Earth's surface (in areas where clouds do not exist) is abnormally non-reflective, creating records for the minimum albedo (reflectivity) recorded (see Skeet below). This allows the surface to absorb more solar energy than usual, thus helping to drive record warmth.
In Europe and Asia, below-average snow covers part of the reason for this low albedo. In January 2025, snow cover in the northern hemisphere was the fourth lowest since its founding record in 1967. We don't know that the January temperature record may have played a role that is less cloud coverage than usual for a year's record warmer (see Cyclone below).
LaNiña's weak event is expected to end in spring
NOAA reported weaker activity (NOAA) in January discussions about El Niño/Southern Oscillation or ENSO (new update was originally scheduled to be released on February 13). If the event lasted five overlapping three months, or long enough to become a LaNiña episode, this would be the latest episode in NOAA Records, dating back to 1950.
According to NOAA's January forecast, LaNiña conditions are expected to last until February to April 2025 (59% chance) and are likely to be ENSO neutral transition from March 5 to May 2025 (60% chance) . During the upcoming Atlantic hurricane season (August to September to October), the forecast from the International Climate and Social Institute of Columbia University on January 21 requires LaNiña to have a 44% chance, ENSO neutral 43% chance and 13 chances of El Niño phenomenon. Elniño conditions tend to suppress Atlantic hurricane activity by increasing wind shears, but LaNiña conditions tend to have the opposite effect.
While the El Niña incident usually lasts only one year (usually from the northern autumn to the northern spring, as in 2023-24), the La Niña incident is often restricted or repeated for two or even three consecutive years, just like in mid-2020 to early 2023 .
Arctic Sea Ice: 2ND–The lowest range for January
According to the National Snow Ice Data Center (NSIDC), the Arctic sea ice range in January 2025 is the second highest in the 46-year satellite record. January marks are after the December record sea ice range. So far, the sea ice range has set new record lows every day in February, beating the 2018 record low. The Arctic finished fourth in January in 2025.
Record melting day in Antarctica
On January 2, 2025, 3.7% of the surface of the Antarctic ice cap melted. According to the NSIDC, it was the most extensive melting activity of any day in a 46-year satellite record, surpassing the record of 3.3% a week before the beginning of December. Throughout the month, Antarctic sea ice range was only slightly below average, well above the record low in 2023. However, by the end of January, the sea ice range ranked the lowest among the lowest 10% of the daily value. The largest seasonal Antarctic seasonality usually occurs in late February or early March. The Antarctic recorded the 36th January in 2025.
Global Calorie and Cold Marks for January 2025
Weather record expert Maximiliano Herrera describes the levels of heat records set so far in 2025 as more characteristic of El Niño's condition than LaNiña. Here are some records he recorded in January. Follow him on Bluesky: @Extremetemps.bsky.social or Twitter: @extremetempps:
– Hottest temperature in the Northern Hemisphere: 40.5°C (104.9°F) in Sarh, Chad on January 19;
– Coldest temperature in the Northern Hemisphere: -61.0°C (-77.8°F) at the top of Greenland on January 16;
– On January 20, the hottest temperature in the southern hemisphere: 49.3°C (120.7°F); and
– On January 31, the coldest temperature in the southern hemisphere of the southern hemisphere: -46.5°C (-51.7°F).
Major weather stations in January: 4 history records, 4 history records
Among the global stations, there are 40 years of record, four games, not only bundled, January history, four TV stations have set historical records:
Terrell (Argentina) Max January 12, 43.6°C;
La Roche (New Caledonia, France) Max. January 17, 35.3°C;
Kalbarri (Australia) January 20, 48.3°C;
Jalawood (Australia) January 20, 43.7°C;
New Iberia (Louisiana, USA) minutes. -16.7°C, January 22;
Lafayette (Louisiana, USA). -15.6°C, January 22;
New Road (Louisiana, USA) -15.6°C, January 22; and
Jennings (Louisiana, USA). -13.9°C, January 22.
Six countries or regions have set monthly historical records in 2025:
– January (6): Cocoa Islands. Southern France, Faroe Islands, Maldives, North Mariana, Martinique
A country set a record in January: Qatar.
Bob Henson contributed to this article.
Repost our articles for free under the Creative Commons license, online or in print.
