April 2025 was the Earth’s second warmest on record, putting the year on track to potentially finish closely behind 2024 as the warmest year ever. Data released recently indicates that the global average temperature for April 2025 was 1.08 degrees Fahrenheit above normal, just 0.13 degrees cooler than the record-setting April of 2024, as reported by the European Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) on Thursday.
With the first four months of the year accounted for, climate scientist Zeke Hausfather estimates that 2025 is currently on pace to be the second warmest year on record. C3S noted that Earth experienced its warmest January, third warmest February, second warmest March, and second warmest April in 2025. The hottest year in recorded history remains 2024, according to both NOAA and NASA.
In terms of global temperatures, April 2025 marked the 21st consecutive month with temperatures exceeding 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 degrees Celsius) above pre-industrial levels. The previous 12-month period through April also maintained temperatures above this threshold. While this does not necessarily breach the 2.7-degree limit set in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, it indicates a significant step closer to that crucial threshold.
Highlights from April include record warmth in the United Arab Emirates, the second warmest temperatures in China and Pakistan, and all-time high temperatures in areas like Athenry, Ireland, and various cities in the United States. Moreover, global ocean temperatures in April were the second highest on record, with specific regions experiencing exceptional warmth compared to previous years.
2025’s April ocean temperatures, while notably warm, did not reach the unprecedented levels observed in April 2024, which featured record warmth in the tropical Atlantic and an El Niño event in the Pacific Ocean. Reports from NOAA, NASA, and the Japan Meteorological Agency regarding global conditions in April are expected to be released soon.
Jonathan Erdman, a seasoned meteorologist, has been reporting on weather events since 1996 and is available for contact on various social media platforms.
