The Earth’s climate system is more out of balance than at any time in recorded history, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned Monday.

The agency’s State of the Global Climate 2025 report confirms that the planet’s “energy imbalance”—the gap between incoming solar energy and heat escaping back into space—reached a record high last year. Driven by atmospheric carbon dioxide levels not seen in two million years, the Earth is currently absorbing about eighteen times the annual human energy use each year in excess heat.

“Human activities are increasingly disrupting the natural equilibrium, and we will live with these consequences for hundreds and thousands of years,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.

More than 91% of this trapped heat is stored in the oceans. Ocean heat content has now broken records for nine consecutive years, warming at more than twice the rate observed during the late 20th century. This thermal expansion, combined with melting ice sheets, drove global sea levels to record highs in 2025.

The last 11 years (2015-2025) were the warmest on record. Global temperatures in 2025 sat approximately 1.43°C above pre-industrial averages. While a temporary La Niña cooling phase prevented 2025 from topping 2024’s record high of 1.55°C, scientists warn the reprieve is fleeting.

Forecasts strongly suggest an El Niño warming phase could form in late 2026. Combined with baseline warming, this could push temperatures into uncharted territory.

“If we transition to El Niño we will see an increase in global temperature again, and potentially to new records,” said WMO scientist Dr. John Kennedy.

The physical impacts are already measurable. Exceptional glacier loss occurred in Iceland and North America, Arctic sea ice extent hovered near record lows, and extreme weather events caused billions in economic losses and exacerbated health crises.

“Every key climate indicator is flashing red,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres. “Planet Earth is being pushed beyond its limits.”

Sources