Climate crisis deepens

For the first time, the report highlights the Earth’s energy imbalance as a central indicator of climate change. This imbalance occurs when more energy from the sun is trapped in the Earth system than is released back into space, largely due to rising concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. According to the WMO, this imbalance reached a new high in 2025 after steadily increasing since records began in 1960.

“Scientific advances have improved our understanding of the Earth’s energy imbalance and of the reality facing our planet and our climate right now.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.

The report showed that more than 91 per cent of the excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases is absorbed by the oceans, which continue to warm at an alarming rate. Ocean heat content reached a new record in 2025, with the rate of warming over the past two decades more than double that observed between 1960 and 2005. Scientists estimate that the oceans have been absorbing energy equivalent to about eighteen times the world’s annual human energy consumption each year.

This rapid ocean warming is fuelling stronger storms, accelerating ice melt and contributing to long-term sea-level rise. Global sea levels are now about 11 centimetres higher than in 1993, with the rate of increase accelerating in recent years.

The cryosphere is also undergoing dramatic changes. Arctic sea ice extent fell to one of its lowest levels on record, while Antarctic sea ice ranked as the third lowest. Glaciers continue to shrink at unprecedented rates, with some of the most severe losses recorded in Iceland and along the Pacific coast of North America.

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Beyond physical changes, the report underscores the growing human toll of climate change. In 2025 alone, extreme weather events caused thousands of deaths, displaced millions and resulted in billions of dollars in economic losses.

“On a day-to-day basis, our weather has become more extreme. Heatwaves, wildfires, drought, tropical cyclones, storms and flooding caused thousands of deaths, impacted millions of people and caused billions in economic losses,” Saulo said.

The warming climate is also intensifying risks to food security, health and livelihoods. Climate-driven disruptions to agriculture are increasing the threat of hunger, while rising temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns are expanding the spread of diseases such as dengue fever and heightening heat stress for workers.

The report noted that more than one-third of the global workforce—around 1.2 billion people—are now exposed to dangerous heat conditions annually, particularly in sectors like agriculture and construction.

It also warned that ocean acidification, caused by the absorption of carbon dioxide, is reaching levels unprecedented in at least 26,000 years, threatening marine ecosystems, fisheries and food production.

Guterres linked the climate crisis to broader global instability, warning that continued reliance on fossil fuels is compounding risks. “In this age of war, climate stress is also exposing another truth: our addiction to fossil fuels is destabilizing both the climate and global security,” he said. “Today’s report should come with a warning label: climate chaos is accelerating and delay is deadly.”

The WMO said the report is intended to guide policymakers, stressing that improved climate observation and early warning systems are essential to protecting lives and livelihoods in an increasingly volatile world.

“When we observe today, we don’t just predict the weather, we protect tomorrow—tomorrow’s people and tomorrow’s planet,” Saulo added.