Earth Records Extreme Heat Across the Globe

Central Asia, the Sahel region of Africa, and northern Europe experienced their hottest year on record in 2025, according to data from the European Copernicus program. Globally, 2025 is expected to rank as the third hottest year ever recorded, following 2024 and 2023, provisional data indicates. Copernicus will confirm the figures in its annual climate report in early January.

While global averages include both land and ocean temperatures, they mask extreme heat events occurring in specific regions. Many low-income countries do not regularly publish detailed climate data, so experts combined Copernicus satellite data, climate models, and weather station measurements to complete the global analysis. The dataset spans hour-by-hour global temperatures since 1970.

Central Asia Records Extreme Heat

Every country in Central Asia broke its annual temperature records in 2025.

• Tajikistan, a landlocked mountainous nation where only 41% of the population has access to safe drinking water, recorded temperatures over 3°C above its seasonal averages (1981–2010).
• Monthly temperature records were broken almost continuously since May, except November.
• Neighboring countries including Kazakhstan, Iran, and Uzbekistan experienced temperatures 2–3°C above seasonal averages.

This region faced unprecedented heat, highlighting vulnerabilities in areas with limited infrastructure and resources.

Sahel Region Up to 1.5°C Hotter

Countries across the Sahel and West Africa, including Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and Chad, saw temperatures 0.7–1.5°C above seasonal averages.

• Nigeria recorded its hottest year ever, while the other countries experienced some of their fourth hottest years on record.
• According to the World Weather Attribution (WWA) network, extreme heat events are now nearly 10 times more likely than in 2015 due to human-induced climate change.

The Sahel, already facing conflict, food insecurity, and poverty, is extremely vulnerable to rising temperatures, which exacerbate humanitarian challenges.

Scorching Summer Across Europe

Europe experienced exceptionally hot conditions, pushing ten countries close to or beyond their annual temperature records.

• Switzerland and Balkan countries recorded summer temperatures 2–3°C above seasonal averages.
• Spain, Portugal, and the UK faced their hottest summers on record, triggering widespread wildfires.
• The UK endured its driest spring in over a century, leading to water shortages.

Northern Europe largely avoided the intense heatwave in June but experienced an abnormally warm autumn. Countries including Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland are expected to rank 2025 among their two warmest years on record.

Key Takeaways

• 2025 marked record-breaking temperatures across multiple regions, highlighting the growing impacts of climate change.
• Central Asia, the Sahel, and parts of Europe faced extreme heat events, exacerbating vulnerabilities in water, food security, and public safety.
• Scientists warn that such events are becoming significantly more frequent due to human-driven climate change.