Scientists confirm 2025 as third-hottest year on record

Scientists confirmed the primary driver of global warming is human activity, mostly burning fossil fuels. File Picture: Ben Birchall/PA

Last year was globally the third warmest year on record, scientists confirmed, as human activity drives the “unmistakable trend” towards a hotter climate.

Scientists around the world — including at the UK’s Met Office, University of East Anglia, and the National Centre for Atmospheric Science — have released their data for 2025, revealing it was the third year in a row with temperatures more than 1.4C above pre-industrial levels.