2025 ranked among the three warmest years on record, underscoring the continued acceleration of climate warming, according to data released by the China Meteorological Administration's National Climate Center.
The data shows that the global average surface temperature in 2025 was 1.40 degrees Celsius higher than pre-industrial levels, defined as average temperatures between 1850 and 1900, and 0.52 degrees Celsius above the long-term norm, the center said.
The past three years have also been the warmest three consecutive years since meteorological records began, indicating a persistent warming trend worldwide, according to the data.
The warming was particularly pronounced at the start of the year. In January 2025, average global surface temperatures exceeded previous records for the same period. On an annual basis, record-high temperatures were observed in northeastern and southern Europe, northeastern East Asia, much of Central Asia, northern and southwestern North America, and the Antarctic Peninsula.
The Arctic recorded an average temperature 1.17 degrees Celsius above the norm in 2025, ranking as the third warmest year on record for the region.
Average temperatures in Antarctica were 0.43 degrees Celsius above normal, and temperatures in the so-called "Third Pole" region, referring to China's Qinghai-Tibet Plateau that spans a vast area including Xizang Autonomous Region and Qinghai Province, were 1.12 degrees Celsius above normal, both setting new historical highs, the data showed.
Yang Guowei, an expert with the center, said the world's Third Pole region is among the most climate-sensitive areas in the world.
"In 2025, the average temperature of the Third Pole region reached a record high, marking the fourth consecutive year that the regional average has broken historical records. From 1961 to 2025, the warming rate on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau was significantly higher than the global average over the same period, while annual precipitation across most parts of the plateau showed an increasing trend. Against the backdrop of rapid regional warming, the plateau has seen more frequent extreme heat and heavy rainfall events; mountain glaciers are generally melting and retreating, while permafrost degradation has become increasingly evident," he said.
Meteorologists said a major effort was needed to advance emissions reduction, which remains the fundamental path for global climate governance.
Combined efforts across the world were also called to better adapt to climate change and to strengthen the overall capacity to cope with extreme weather and climate events such as heatwaves, floods and strong typhoons.
2025 among warmest years on record: China Climate Center
Factories in many places across China have already been operating in full capacity as early as one month before the Spring Festival, the country's grandest traditional festival, to respond to people's ardent hope and enthusiasm for the Chinese New Year.
Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year, falls on Feb 17 this year.
At a lantern plant in Nanli Village in north China's Shanxi Province, from cutting the wire to welding the frame, from pasting the silk cloth to drawing the patterns, nearly 100 workers are working in close collaboration.
In the structuring workshop, workers are using welding torches to weld ordinary iron wires into shapes such as dragons, phoenixes, and horses amidst flying sparks.
Meanwhile, the craftsmen are mounting carefully selected silk fabric onto the iron skeleton, making sure the form of dragon head, leaping horse, and other figures to be upright and dignified.
At a major cut flower farm in Xixian New Area of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, eight production lines are operating at full capacity to meet the demand for the upcoming grand festival.
Each stalk of flower takes only one hour from picking to finished product, ensuring it is shipped to all parts of the country in a fresher state.
The farm offers a variety of flowers, including anthurium, a star product in recent years for its colorful patterns and auspicious meanings.
This kind of flower originally grew only in tropical rainforests, but advanced technology has enabled various flowers to be cultivated in different seasons and regions.
The 50,000-square-meter greenhouse adopted intelligent IoT environmental control system, which can acquire real-time information on temperature, humidity, light, wind speed, and pests and diseases, and technicians can remotely control the system at the terminal to ensure the plants are in optimal growth condition.
Such precision regulation allows flowers to grow vigorously while also blooming according to order demand, thereby improving the supply efficiency during festive periods.
This year's Chinese New Year flower season started taking orders a month earlier than last year, and the current order volume has exceeded 3 million yuan, an increase of 30 percent compared with the same period last year, and the total order amount is expected to exceed 10 million yuan, according to operators.
The flowers are not only sold to many domestic cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu, but also exported to overseas markets such as Singapore and South Korea.
The thriving business has also boosted local employment. Currently, the dozens of full-time employees at the farm are all from surrounding villages and towns, and the farm also hires hundreds of seasonal temporary workers every year.
Preparation for Spring Festival activities, goods in full swing
