January 2025 extends concerning trend of new, global temperature records
The average, global temperature was high enough to establish a new heat record in January 2025, extending the streak of monthly achievements for average values
We're only in the second month of 2025, and we're already talking about a global temperature record being broke.
January 2025 has set a new record for the global, average temperature experienced during the month––hitting 13.23 C, surpassing the monthly record that was established in 2024 (13.14 C). To complement the newest record, January was 1.75 C above the pre-industrial level.
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As well, January 2025 was the 18th in a 19-month period that saw the worldwide, average, surface air temperature exceed 1.5 C above the pre-industrial level. It may not seem minuscule, but the anomaly--compared to the average of the last 35 years--is 0.79 C, a pretty noticeable and significant difference. If we factor in the temperature of the pre-industrial era, it is 1.75 C.
The news of January's average temperatures comes on the heels of 2024 being named the warmest year record for the planet, and the first to go 1.5 C above pre-industrial temperatures.
Even though the average temperature worldwide was high enough to set a record last month, the heat wasn't evenly felt across the globe. In parts of the United States, January was noticeably cold and snowy. That occurred while Southern California endured destructive wildfires that were a result of the region's extreme rain deficit.
On the other hand, parts of Canada and a good chunk of Asia, Antarctica and Oceania experienced positive, warmer-than-normal temperature anomalies.
According to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), the departure from the pre-industrial era average has reached 1.60 C.
January saw Canadian anomalies
Contrary to what some may think is odd, last month was, in fact, warmer than normal for most Canadians––despite frequent trips of air originating from the Arctic. Part of the setup involved the entrapment of mild Pacific air in the North and West for a good chunk of the month before the winter pattern finally changed.
For locales such as Kuujjuaq, a community in Nunavik, Que., and Iqaluit, Nvt., January was the warmest on record with close to an 11 C anomaly.
The month, however, was below normal in southern Ontario and southeastern B.C., and near normal at the northernmost point.
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When looking at the Canadian temperature anomaly map, it highlights a rather favourable winter for snow lovers who reside within the lower Great Lakes, particularly the snowbelt regions, which have seen plenty of lake-effect snow and cold this season.
As well, Sherbrooke, Que., documented a slightly negative anomaly. Meanwhile, other centres in Quebec experienced above-normal temperatures, particularly in the eastern end, where Gaspé and Sept-Îles enjoyed a very mild start to the month.
With files from Nathan Howes, a digital journalist at The Weather Network, and Rachel Modestino, a meteorologist at The Weather Network, and MétéoMedia.
Editor’s note: Parts of this article have been translated from French to English for The Weather Network, originally published by MétéoMedia. Read the original article, here.
