WMO warns climate system reaches record instability

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has warned that the climate system has become "more unstable than ever in history."

According to the WMO's State of the Global Climate 2025 report, the period from 2015 to 2025 has been recorded as the 11 warmest years on record.

In 2025, global temperatures were measured at approximately 1.43°C above pre-industrial levels, making it the second or third warmest year ever recorded.

Extreme weather events such as heatwaves, heavy rainfall, and tropical storms caused widespread destruction and disruption worldwide, exposing the fragility of interconnected economic and social systems.

The report also states that Earth's climate system has reached its most unstable state ever observed.

While oceans continue to warm, they have absorbed heat equivalent to about 18 times the total annual energy consumption of humanity over the past 20 years.

During the same period, glacier melting has accelerated, Arctic sea ice has dropped to near-record lows, and Antarctic ice levels have fallen to the third lowest on record.

For the first time, "Earth's energy imbalance" has emerged as a key climate indicator. This imbalance has increased significantly over the past two decades, reaching a record level in 2025—meaning the Earth is retaining more energy than it releases into space.

"All climate indicators are flashing red," said Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations. "Our planet is being pushed beyond its limits. Humanity has experienced its 11 hottest years. This is no coincidence—it is a call to action."

WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo emphasized that human activity is increasingly disrupting natural balance, adding: "Extreme weather events in 2025 caused thousands of deaths, affected millions of people, and led to billions of dollars in economic losses."