2025 AMONG THE HOTTEST YEARS EVER AS CLIMATE CRISIS INTENSIFIES

Scientists have confirmed that 2025 ranks among the three hottest years on record, driven largely by human-induced climate change. For the first time, the three-year global temperature average has surpassed the 1.5°C (2.7°F) threshold set in the 2015 Paris Agreement, highlighting the urgent need to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

The analysis, released by World Weather Attribution (WWA), noted that extreme weather events around the globe caused widespread devastation. Heat waves were the deadliest, with some being up to ten times more likely due to climate change. Prolonged droughts fuelled wildfires in Greece and Turkey, while torrential rains and flooding hit Mexico. Super Typhoon Fung-wong forced over a million evacuations in the Philippines, and monsoon rains caused severe floods and landslides in India. Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti with such intensity that communities struggled to respond effectively.

WWA researchers warned that increasingly frequent and severe events are pushing people and nations toward the “limits of adaptation.” Despite pledges for adaptation funding, global efforts remain inconsistent. Some countries, like China, are expanding renewables while continuing coal use, whereas the U.S. has prioritised fossil fuel policies. Experts stress that without immediate action to reduce emissions, limiting global warming to 1.5°C will be extremely challenging.

The Met Office predicts 2025 will follow 2024 and 2023 as one of the warmest years on record.

#MaltaDaily