Copernicus: Southwestern Europe faces extreme heat during the third-warmest August globally

Bonn, 09/09/2025

Global Temperature Highlights

August 2025 was the third-warmest August globally, with an average ERA5 surface air temperature of 16.60°C, 0.49°C above the 1991-2020 average for August.
August 2025 was 0.22°C cooler than the two warmest Augusts on record, in 2023 and 2024.
August 2025 was 1.29°C above the estimated 1850-1900 average used to define the pre-industrial level.
The 12-month period of September 2024 – August 2025 was 0.64°C above the 1991-2020 average, and 1.52°C above the pre-industrial level.

Temperature in Europe and other regions

The average temperature over European land for August 2025 was 19.46°C, 0.30°C above the 1991-2020 average for August, leaving the month outside the 10 warmest Augusts in the data record.
Western Europe experienced Europe’s most pronounced above-average air temperatures. The Iberian Peninsula and southwest France were particularly affected by heatwave conditions.
A large part of northern Europe, including Fennoscandia, the Baltic States, Belarus and Poland experienced cooler-than-average temperatures.
Outside Europe, temperatures were most above average across Siberia, parts of Antarctica, China, the Korean Peninsula, Japan and the Middle East.
Temperatures were most below average over most of Australia and mixed conditions occurred across North America, South America and South Africa.

Sea surface temperature

The average sea surface temperature (SST) for August 2025 over 60°S–60°N was 20.82°C, the third-highest value on record for the month, 0.16°C below the August 2023 record.
Most of the North Pacific saw much above-average SSTs, with record highs reached in some areas. In contrast, SSTs were close to or below the 1991-2020 average in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific, reflecting the ENSO-neutral conditions.
Around Europe, there were still record-high SSTs across an area of the North Atlantic to the west of France and the United Kingdom. SSTs across the Mediterranean were mixed and much less extreme than in August 2024.

Seasonal highlights for global temperature

The global-average temperature for the boreal summer 2025 (June to August) was the third highest on record at 0.47°C above the 1991-2020 average, and cooler only than the boreal summers of 2023 and 2024.
Temperatures around the world were mostly above average, especially in the northern hemisphere. The largest positive anomalies were recorded over Asia, while notable negative anomalies occurred over South America and Australia.

Seasonal highlights for European temperature

Europe had its fourth-warmest summer season on record at 0.90°C above the 1991-2020 average.
Summer temperatures were above average across almost all of the European continent, the only exception being some parts of eastern Europe. They were most above average over western parts of Europe, southeast Europe and Türkiye.
As Arctic Sea ice is approaching its annual minimum extent, expected in September, the average extent in August 2025 was 12% below the 1991–2020 average, the 8th-lowest August extent on record. This anomaly was significantly smaller than the record 22% below average of August 2012, the year with the all-time September minimum.
Regionally, below-average sea ice concentrations were most pronounced in the European Arctic sector, north of Svalbard and Franz Josef Land.
Antarctic sea ice extent was 7% below average, the third lowest on record for the month, a similar ranking to those seen in June and July.
Sea ice concentration anomalies around Antarctica continued to show alternating areas of above- and below-average concentrations, shaped by the positioning of high- and low-pressure systems around the continent.
In August 2025, it was drier than average in much of western, central and southern Europe as well as in southernmost Sweden, northwestern Russia and part of Finland. Regions in the south of the continent experienced substantial wildfires.
Conversely, it was wetter than average in northeastern Spain, southern France and Germany, Switzerland, most of Italy, the northern and eastern Adriatic coasts, much of Scandinavia and a large region of eastern Europe.
In August 2025, it was drier than average in the west, centre and east of the USA and over much of Canada, in northern Russia, parts of central and easternmost Asia, parts of southern Africa, as well as large regions of extra-tropical South America.
It was wetter than average in southeastern and northwestern North America, north of the Horn of Africa, in the southern Arabian Peninsula, north of the Indian subcontinent, in parts of China, Japan, southwestern and southeastern Australia, and in parts of southern South America.

Seasonal highlights

Summer 2025 in Europe saw predominantly drier-than-average conditions in much of the western and southern parts of the continent, as well as in the Balkans and Black Sea regions, and in parts of Scandinavia, Finland and northwestern Russia.
Northern Italy, easternmost Spain, the Adriatic coast, most of Iceland, parts of Scotland, France and Fennoscandia and a large region encompassing the Baltic States, Belarus, northern Ukraine and part of Russia were wetter than average.
Beyond Europe, June to August 2025 was predominantly drier than average for much of western and parts of eastern north America, north of India and in easternmost China and Japan, as well as Chile.
Wetter-than-average conditions were observed mostly over central and southeastern USA, parts of Russia, Pakistan, and regions of China as well as areas of Brazil, Argentina, parts of southern Africa, and southeastern Australia.

The monthly bulletin for August 2025 marks the ten-year anniversary of this publication. To mark this occasion, we have prepared this article reflecting onhow the Climate Bulletin has evolvedsince its inception, and a second articleintroducing the people behind it. Additionally, some of the visuals and charts of the bulletin have been revamped. We thank you for your continued support and attention over the years.

More information about climate variables in August and climate updates of previous months as well as high-resolution graphics can be downloadedhere.

Monitor global ‘feels-like temperature’ through theThermal Traceapp.

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