In brief
A recent report from the World Meteorological Organization highlights a concerning trend in the Earth's climate, indicating a significant energy imbalance that contributes to rising global temperatures and extreme weather events. The looming El Niño phenomenon may further intensify these effects, prompting UN Secretary General António Guterres to call for a swift transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources to ensure climate and energy security.
The Earth's climate is further out of balance than at any time in recorded history, the UN's weather agency has warned.
The World Meteorological Organization says that our planet is gaining much more heat energy than it can release, driven by emissions of warming gases such as carbon dioxide.
This record energy imbalance heated the ocean to new heights last year and continued to melt our planet's ice caps.
And scientists fear that a natural warming phase called El Niño – expected to begin later this year - could soon bring further heat records.
In response to the report, UN Secretary General António Guterres reiterated his call for countries to move away from fossil fuels to renewable energy to deliver climate security, energy security and national security.
Planet Earth is being pushed beyond its limits. Every key climate indicator is flashing red, he warned, in a typically punchy video address.
The last 11 years were the Earth's 11 warmest years in records stretching back to 1850, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says.
In 2025, global average air temperatures were about 1.43C above those of pre-industrial times - before humans started burning large amounts of fossil fuels.
While scientists are still working out the exact reasons for the Earth's accumulated heat over the past decade, they agree that greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide are the root causes of this imbalance.
Human activities are increasingly disrupting the natural equilibrium and we will live with these consequences for hundreds and thousands of years, said Prof Celeste Saulo, secretary general of the WMO.
The report also indicates that rising temperatures are intensifying various extreme weather patterns worldwide, directly linked to human-induced climate change.
The imminent El Niño could potentially push global temperatures even higher, marking a critical juncture in climate science as actions today will significantly impact future generations.
