The US-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has said there is a 4% chance that 2025 will rank as the warmest year on record.
The claim follows what has been the third-warmest February on record.
Figures releases by NOAA on Wednesday reveal that the February global surface temperature was 1.26°C above the 20th-century average of 12.1°C.
Temperatures were above average over much of the globe, particularly in the Arctic, but much below average over western Canada and the central United States.
 |
| Land and Ocean Temperature Percentiles for February 2025 (°C). Red indicates warmer than average and blue indicates colder than average. |
Twelve named storms occurred across the globe in February, which set an all-time record for the month.
A record five named storms occurred in the southwestern Indian Ocean. Five named storms occurred in the Australian region, as well as four in the Southwest Pacific.
The last named storm in Ireland was on January 24th when Storm Éowyn brought significant disruption across the island.