September 2025 marked as third-hottest globally on record, says EU climate monitor

September 2025 has gone down as the third-warmest September ever recorded, according to data released by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), the European Union’s climate monitoring program. The month registered a global average surface air temperature of 16.11°C, which is 0.66°C above the 1991–2020 average. It was also 1.47°C warmer than the pre-industrial period (1850–1900), underscoring the persistent rise in global temperatures despite natural climatic shifts.

C3S reported that from October 2024 to September 2025, the 12-month global average temperature was 0.63°C above the 1991–2020 benchmark and 1.51°C above pre-industrial levels. The elevated figures highlight the ongoing impact of greenhouse gas accumulation, which continues to drive extreme weather events worldwide.

India too experienced an unusually hot September. Data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) confirmed that this was the country’s ninth-warmest September in terms of mean temperature and the fifth-warmest for night temperatures. Eastern and northeastern India recorded their third-warmest September on record, reflecting the broader global warming trend.

Meanwhile, rainfall patterns were significantly disrupted. Globally, September was wetter than average in large regions including the southwestern and central USA, Alaska, northwestern Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, the Northern Horn of Africa, Pakistan, northwestern India, and parts of eastern China. In many of these regions, heavy precipitation triggered flooding, often linked with tropical cyclones. Europe also witnessed excessive rainfall across central regions, coastal Italy, eastern Spain, and the Black Sea area.

In India, rainfall patterns remained uneven: the country overall saw a 15.3% excess in rainfall, with northwest India recording 30.7% above average, while east and northeast India experienced a 30.7% deficit. Central India and the South Peninsula also reported significant surpluses.

The Arctic continued to lose sea ice, with September’s daily sea ice extent marking the 14th-lowest minimum since satellite records began. The monthly extent was 12% below average, particularly low near Svalbard, Franz Josef Land, and the Beaufort Sea.

Looking ahead, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasts that La Niña conditions will likely set in between October and December 2025, with a 71% probability. Typically, La Niña cools parts of the Pacific Ocean and alters global wind and rainfall patterns, often acting as a counterbalance to El Niño. However, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has warned that climate change is altering the impacts of these natural phenomena, making weather patterns more extreme and unpredictable.

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Despite the anticipated La Niña, experts caution that the warming trend driven by human-induced climate change is overshadowing natural cycles, pushing global temperatures to alarming new highs.