NASA Climate Report: 2025 Temperatures Far Above Historical Average

NASA’s latest climate analysis shows that 2025 came extremely close to becoming the hottest year ever recorded on Earth, narrowly matching 2023, while confirming 2024 as the hottest year since records began in 1880. The findings highlight a persistent and accelerating global warming trend affecting both land and ocean surfaces worldwide.

NASA Says 2025 Nearly Matched the Hottest Year on Record

Earth’s global surface temperature in 2025, averaged across the entire year, was a hair warmer than 2023, making the two years effectively tied, according to NASA scientists. While 2025 did not officially surpass the record, the difference was so minimal that researchers consider both years statistically indistinguishable in terms of global heat levels.

NASA’s latest analysis also confirms that 2024 now stands as the hottest year in the modern temperature record, which dates back to 1880.

Despite not breaking the record outright, 2025 remains firmly part of the long-term global warming trend, with temperatures significantly higher than those observed during the mid-20th century. Scientists emphasize that this reflects persistent, extreme, and widespread planetary warming across both land and ocean surfaces.

NASA Report Finds 2025 Global Temperatures Well Above Historical Average

Global Temperature Rise Measured Against Mid-20th Century Baseline

According to a NASA report published by the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) on the agency’s official website, Earth’s average surface temperature in 2025 was 2.14 degrees Fahrenheit (1.19 degrees Celsius) warmer than the 1951–1980 average.

This period is commonly used by climate scientists as a baseline to measure long-term warming trends.

One of the Largest Climate Data Sets Ever Compiled

The findings are based on one of the most comprehensive climate datasets in existence, drawing from multiple sources to ensure global accuracy.

How NASA Collected and Verified Global Temperature Data

Land and Ocean Data Sources

NASA’s analysis incorporates:

• Air temperature readings from over 25,000 weather stations worldwide

• Sea surface temperatures collected from ships and ocean buoys

• Data from Antarctic research stations to ensure coverage of remote and polar regions

This extensive dataset allows scientists to capture temperature trends across nearly the entire planet.

Advanced Techniques to Improve Accuracy

NASA scientists used refined statistical methods to:

• Account for changes in weather station locations over time

• Reduce distortions caused by urban heat effects, which can artificially inflate local temperature readings

These adjustments help ensure that long-term temperature trends reflect true climate change rather than measurement bias.

Independent Climate Agencies Confirm the Warming Trend

Multiple Global Agencies Reach the Same Conclusion

Independent analyses conducted by:

• NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

• Berkeley Earth

• UK Met Office’s Hadley Centre

• Europe’s Copernicus Climate Change Service

all place 2025 among the top three hottest years on record, despite using different data sets and analytical techniques.

Strong Scientific Consensus on Global Warming

Scientists say the agreement across multiple institutions reinforces the reliability of the findings and highlights a clear and ongoing warming trend driven by long-term climate change.

Why the 2025 Findings Matter

A Clear Signal of Persistent Planetary Warming

While year-to-year rankings may shift slightly, researchers stress that the broader trend is unmistakable: global temperatures are rising well above historical norms, affecting ecosystems, weather patterns, and sea levels worldwide.

Land and Ocean Temperatures Rising Together

The warming observed in 2025 was not limited to one region or surface type. Instead, it reflects system-wide heating of Earth’s climate, spanning continents and oceans alike.