January 2025 Becomes Hottest on Record, Alarming Scientists

January 2025 has been recorded as the warmest January globally, with temperatures 1.75°C above preindustrial levels, despite expectations of cooling due to La Niña weather patterns. This unprecedented warmth has raised alarms among climate scientists, as it marks the 18th month in the last 19 exceeding the 1.5°C threshold. The Copernicus Climate Change Service noted that average temperatures were 0.79°C above the 1991-2020 average for January and 0.1°C warmer than January 2024. Experts attribute the continued rise in temperatures primarily to greenhouse gas emissions and changes in oceanic conditions, further complicating predictions around climate behavior. Notably, this record warmth underscores urgent calls for significant reductions in emissions to mitigate the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events. The data has been described as 'astonishing and terrifying' by climate scientists, reflecting a troubling trend in global temperatures.