The year 2025 is likely to be the second or third warmest year on record amid intensifying global warming, according to a report released by World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on Tuesday.
According to the State of the Climate Update for COP30, the average global mean near-surface temperature was about 1.42 degrees Celsius higher than the pre-industrial average, while greenhouse gases atmospheric concentrations and ocean heat content reached record observed levels in 2024 and continue to rise in 2025.
Arctic sea-ice extent in March 2025 was the lowest annual maximum in the satellite record and Antarctic sea-ice extent has remained well below average throughout 2025 to date, the report said.
The compounding impacts of high temperature and extreme weather events have damaged cropland, eroded livelihoods and deepened poverty, and contributed to displacement across multiple regions, according to the report.
Celeste Saulo, WMO Secretary General, underscored that it is nearly impossible to reach the goal of limiting global temperature rise within 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial level within the next few years, but there is no need to be over-pessimistic as the trend is still reversible.
A previous WMO report said that by estimation, global temperature will continue to be at or near the record level, increasing climate risks and impacts on society, economy and sustainable development.
2025 likely among warmest years on record: UN climate organization
2025 likely among warmest years on record: UN climate organization
The Urumqi–Yuli Expressway, which traverses the Tianshan Mountains in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, opened to traffic on Friday after more than five years of construction, significantly enhancing regional connectivity and enabling faster, more efficient movement of goods and services across the region.
The expressway is a core component of the G0711 national highway network, spanning 324.7 kilometers.
Stretching 2,500 kilometers, the Tianshan Mountains span central Xinjiang, separating Urumqi, the largest city in the north, from Korla, the largest city in the south. With the opening of the expressway, travel time between these two cities is reduced from seven hours to about three hours.
As a key component of the expressway and the world's longest expressway tunnel, the 22.13-km Tianshan Shengli Tunnel officially opened to traffic on the same day.
The tunnel's construction incorporated multiple cutting-edge technologies and innovations, including advanced survey and design methods for ultra-long tunnels and intelligent construction techniques.
"We have established a relatively systematic, comprehensive, and highly efficient management system for major engineering technological innovation across the entire expressway, and have accumulated extensive construction and management experience in delivering mega-projects under extreme environmental conditions," said Song Hailiang, chairman of the China Communications Construction Group.
The expressway connects Urumqi with the northern city belt and the southern urban clusters of Xinjiang, linking the Junggar Basin and the Tarim Basin. It enables rapid transportation between Urumqi, Kashgar, and Khorgos, strengthening Xinjiang’s role as a strategic hub for both the domestic market and international trade.
"With the expressway now operational, business opportunities are flowing in, and many inland companies are coming to sign agreements with us," said Yu Ruihong, chairwoman and general manager of the Xinjiang Ruiyuan Dairy.
"The Urumqi–Yuli Expressway significantly improves Xinjiang's connectivity with the eastern coastal regions and the New International Land–Sea Corridor, supporting the development of a modern, comprehensive, three-dimensional transportation network and high-quality Belt and Road cooperation," said Zhou Rongfeng, director general of the Highway Bureau of the Ministry of Transport.
Urumqi-Yuli Expressway boosts Xinjiang's trade connectivity, strengthens regional integration
