The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has warned that the Earth's climate is more out of balance than at any time in observed history, according to its State of the Global Climate 2025 report.
The report highlights the Earth's energy imbalance, which measures the rate at which energy enters and leaves the Earth system, as a key climate indicator. The imbalance has increased since its observational record began in 1960, particularly in the past 20 years, and reached a new high in 2025.
The WMO said that the warming of the atmosphere, including near the Earth's surface, represents just 1% of the excess energy, while about 5% is stored in the continental land masses. The ocean, which acts as a major buffer against higher temperatures on land, stores over 91% of the excess heat.
The report also notes that ocean heat content reached a new record high in 2025, with its rate of warming more than doubling from 1960-2005 to 2005-2025. Another 3% of the excess energy warms and melts ice.
WMO secretary-general Celeste Saulo said that human activities are increasingly disrupting the natural equilibrium, and that the consequences will be felt for hundreds and thousands of years.
The report concludes that 2025 was the second or third warmest year in the 176-year observational record, reflecting the shift to La Niña conditions that temporarily cool the planet.
The annually averaged global near-surface temperature was about 1.43°C above the 1850–1900 pre-industrial average last year, while ocean heat content reached the highest level since the start of records in 1960, exceeding 2024 levels.
The global mean sea level was comparable to the record-high levels observed in 2024, at around 11 cm higher than at the start of the satellite altimetry record in 1993.
The report also highlights the impacts of extreme weather on agricultural production, climate-driven food insecurity, and the spread of plant pests and animal diseases.
UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres said that the State of the Global Climate is in a state of emergency, with every key climate indicator flashing red.
