Ag Weather Forum

The global climate assessment for January through April 2025 by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) shows near-record warm conditions. The report notes Earth's average surface temperature for January-April 2025 was the second-warmest such period in NOAA's 176-year records. Average surface temperatures (combined land and ocean) were 1.28 degrees Celsius (2.30 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than the 20th-century average. This value was only 0.06 degrees C (0.11 F) shy of tying the record set last year (January-April 2024). NCEI statistical analysis points to a chance greater than 99% for 2025 to rank among the five warmest years on record.

Looking at continental regions, the report notes the following details:

Six of the seven continents had a Top-10 warm January-April period. Oceania's (Australasia-Melanesia-Micronesia-Polynesia) January-April temperature was 1.62 degrees C (2.92 F) higher than the 20th-century average -- the warmest January-April period on record. Asia had its second-highest January-April temperature at 3.01 degrees C (5.42 F) higher than average. Only January-April of 2020 was warmer. Europe had its third-warmest January-April period, while Africa and South America each had their fourth-warmest such period on record. North America had its eighth-warmest January-April on record.

The Arctic had its second-warmest January-April period on record, with a temperature 3.68 degrees C (6.62 F) higher than the 20th-century average. This value falls behind the record January-April of 2016 (+4.05 C/+7.29 F). The Antarctic region also had a warmer-than-average January-April temperature at +0.31 C (+0.56 F) -- tying with 1984 as the 20th warmest January-April period on record.

Significant warmth either approached or went beyond previous records in several regions. The most notable high temperature departures were observed across much of the Arctic Ocean, Asia, Alaska, northern Canada, and northern Europe, where temperatures were at least 2.5 degrees C (4.5 F) higher than the 1991-2020 average. Record-high January-April temperatures were present across northern parts of Canada and its surrounding ocean, the western and south-central Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Southern Oceans, and across small areas in North America, the North Atlantic Ocean, Europe, and Asia.

Early heatwaves were also a feature late in the January-April period. An early summer heat wave affected India and Pakistan during April 14-30, 2025. Maximum (daytime) temperatures rose above 40 C (104 F) and, in some locations, were as high as 49 C (120.2 F). The unusually high temperatures caused a drastic surge in electricity demands for air conditioning, leading to widespread power outages. According to reports, farm laborers also experienced heat-related illnesses due to working in dangerously hot conditions. Summer heat waves in the region usually occur during May and June.

During the last week of April 2025, a heat wave affected parts of Thailand, leading to several locations setting new maximum temperature records as temperatures exceeded 40 C (104 F). Of note, Mae Hong Son in northern Thailand reached a record-breaking 42.3 C (108.1 F) on April 27. This was a new record for the location and was also the highest temperature recorded during the entire heatwave.

The full global climate report is available here: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/…

Bryce Anderson can be reached at bryce.anderson@dtn.com

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