It was not the warmest or the wettest on record but 2025 was the worst year for climate change, analysis from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) shows. That is because the Earth’s energy imbalance became more extreme with potentially dire consequences for now and far into the future. “In 2025 observed global ocean heat content set a record,” the WMO report, published on Monday, states. As waters warm they expand, increasing sea level. The more they warm, the more ice sheets they melt, increasing sea level further.

Source: The Irish Times March 23, 2026 16:23 UTC