Published: 10:47 BST, 11 August 2026 | Updated: 18:36 BST, 11 August 2026
A damning report has confirmed greenhouse gas concentrations, global sea level and ocean heat all reached record highs last year.
The international annual review, published by the American Meteorological Society (AMS), provides the most comprehensive updates on Earth's climate.
Data is collected from monitoring stations and instruments located on land, water, ice and space, with contributions from 625 scientists in 60 countries.
And it paints a stark image of the dismal state of the world's climate.
The data shows the amount of harmful greenhouse gases including methane and carbon dioxide reached record levels, while fossil fuel emissions reached a new high.
Our oceans are steadily warming, with the majority experiencing at least one marine heatwave, while sea levels also reached unprecedented levels thanks to climate change.
Despite the absence of an El Niño event, which can drive global temperatures higher, the planet remained exceptionally hot.
And with a 'Super El Niño' event imminent, it could mean that this year and next get even worse.
The report provides the most comprehensive update on Earth's climate indicators, notable weather events and other data collected by environmental monitoring stations and instruments located on land, water and ice, as well as in space
Our oceans are steadily warming, with the majority experiencing at least one marine heatwave, while sea levels also reached unprecedented levels thanks to climate change
The paper reveals that 2025 was among the three warmest years in the instrumental record, which goes back 175 years.
'The extreme warmth extended to the polar regions, with Antarctica experiencing its warmest year in the record that began in 1979, and the Arctic experiencing its second–warmest year since the start of its record in 1900,' it adds.
All five major global temperature datasets agree that the past 11 years, from 2015 to 2025, were the 11 warmest ever recorded.
Europe experienced its hottest year ever, while Russia, China, South Korea and Argentina each recorded their second–warmest year.
