"The past 11 years are the warmest since records began, with the past three top of the leader-board. Hottest of the lot was 2024, which coincided with a strong Niño-a pattern of winds and ocean currents that nudges the thermometer upwards-combined with a peak of the 11-year solar cycle when the sun shines brightest. But in 2025 El Niño tailed off, to be replaced by its opposite pattern, La Niña, and the sun-only a minor part of the story in any case-began to dim."
"That 2025 was cooler than its predecessor was thus no surprise. But as La Niña years go, it was sweltering: the hottest yet."
Global surface temperatures remain elevated, with the past 11 years the warmest since records began and the last three years among the hottest on record. 2024 reached the highest temperatures, driven by a strong El Niño pattern that warms winds and ocean currents and by a peak in the 11-year solar cycle. In 2025 El Niño weakened and shifted to La Niña while solar output diminished slightly, producing a cooler year compared with 2024. Despite that shift, 2025 still ranked as the hottest La Niña year on record, underscoring persistent background warming.
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