July 2025 - the third hottest July on record: Climatologists sound the alarm

July 2025 was the third hottest July on record globally, according to data presented by the European Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). On average, global temperatures exceeded the values of a July in the pre-industrial period (1850-1900) by 1.25°C, reinforcing the alarming trend of global warming. "Although the series of absolute global temperature records has been interrupted for the moment, this does not mean that climate change has stopped,” warns Carlo Buontempo, director of C3S.

• 1.5°C threshold continues to be frequently exceeded

The +1.5°C threshold, set by the Paris Agreement as a critical limit to avoid catastrophic effects of climate change, has been regularly exceeded in the past two years. Three of the warmest Julys on record followed in 2023, 2024 and 2025 - an unprecedented sequence that confirms the acceleration of the global warming process. Even though the difference seems small, +1.25°C on the global average means an increased frequency of heat waves, droughts, extreme storms and other weather phenomena with devastating impact.

• Extreme heat, floods and wildfires in a chain

The month of July was marked by extreme weather phenomena on several continents:

Temperatures exceeded 50°C in regions of the Middle East, but also in Turkey - for the first time in history; Torrential rains have caused massive flooding in China and Pakistan, killing hundreds; wildfires continue to rage in Canada, burning tens of thousands of hectares; and in Spain, more than 1,000 deaths have been attributed to excessive heat - a significant increase on the same period last year.

"We are clearly seeing the effects of global warming in extreme heat waves and catastrophic flooding. The situation remains urgent,” Buontempo said.

• Asia, the region with the most heat records

Eleven countries and territories recorded their hottest July in 55 years. Seven of them are in Asia - China, Japan, North Korea, Tajikistan, Bhutan, Brunei and Malaysia - according to data analyzed by AFP. Europe was also affected: in the north of the continent, temperatures were consistently above normal, and between 1 and 10 July, more than half of the continent's surface area was experiencing severe drought, according to the European Drought Observatory (EDO).

• Mixed situation in the rest of the world

While heatwaves dominated some regions, other parts of the world recorded below-normal temperatures. North America, South America, India, Australia, parts of Africa and Antarctica experienced relatively lower temperatures, but without counterbalancing the global trend of increase.

• Oceans - a new hotbed of the climate crisis

The average ocean surface temperature in July was the third highest on record. In some regions - such as the Norwegian Sea, parts of the North Sea, the North Atlantic, but also near the coasts of France and Great Britain - local monthly records were broken. Warming waters have direct effects on marine ecosystems, fisheries and the intensity of tropical storms.

• Polar ice shelves are retreating at an accelerated pace

In the Arctic, sea ice extent was 10% below average - the second lowest for a July in 47 years of satellite observations, tied with 2012 and 2021. In the Southern Hemisphere, Antarctic ice extent was the third lowest for a July. "If we do not quickly stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, not only will we see new temperature records, but the effects will also become more destructive. We need to prepare for this future and, above all, avoid it as much as possible,” warns Buontempo. Global temperature averages are calculated based on billions of satellite and ground-based meteorological records. The EU-run Copernicus system is one of the most advanced global sources of climate monitoring.