The Polar Climate Change Annual Report (2025) was released Wednesday by the China Meteorological Administration (CMA), warning of record low sea ice, sustained warming and increasingly abnormal extreme events in both polar regions.
This marks the fourth consecutive year that China has released the annual report on polar climate change.
According to the report, the polar climate in 2025 featured continued significant warming in the Arctic, persistently low sea ice extent in both polar regions, a clear divergence in ozone changes between the Arctic and Antarctic, and an increase in the abnormality of extreme weather and climate events.
Monitoring and analysis show that sea ice in both the Arctic and Antarctic remained at low levels, with the Arctic being particularly notable.
The report shows that the annual average Arctic sea ice extent in 2025 hit the lowest level since satellite observations began in 1979, while the annual maximum sea ice extent also reached a 47-year low, one of the most notable signals in this year's polar climate monitoring.
The annual average, minimum and maximum sea ice extents in Antarctica were all the third lowest since 1979.
According to the report, the Arctic continued to warm significantly in 2025, with an annual average temperature of minus 6.40 degrees Celsius, 1.14 degrees Celsius above the long-term average.
All seasons were warmer than usual, particularly winter and autumn, which were 2.13 degrees Celsius and 1.78 degrees Celsius above average respectively.
Antarctica was generally warmer, with pronounced seasonal differences.
The annual average temperature in Antarctica was minus 31.29 degrees Celsius, 0.55 degrees Celsius above the long-term average.
Spring, summer and autumn were warmer, with spring 2.14 degrees Celsius above average, while winter was 0.63 degrees Celsius cooler.
Concentrations of major greenhouse gases in the polar regions continued to rise, the report said.
Monitoring shows that levels of carbon dioxide, methane and other key greenhouse gases in both the Arctic and Antarctic increased compared with the previous year.
The report also noted that extreme weather and climate events in the polar regions became more anomalous.
In May last year, a widespread heatwave affected Greenland, causing abnormal surface melting of the ice sheet at a rate 17 times the historical average for the same period.
On October 12, rare rainfall occurred at China's Zhongshan Station in Antarctica, indicating that the abnormality of polar extreme events was intensifying.
These events show that polar changes are not only reflected in long-term trends but are also manifesting as more anomalous extreme events. In recent years, the China Meteorological Administration has relied on its Antarctic research stations -- Zhongshan, Changcheng, Taishan and Kunlun -- together with the Yellow River Station in the Arctic to expand polar monitoring capacity.
Based on these platforms, CMA has established an observation system covering the Antarctic coast, inland ice sheet and key high‑latitude regions of the Arctic. The network is capable of stable operation in ultra‑low temperatures and provides a crucial basis for assessing polar climate change.
China releases 2025 Polar Climate Report warning of record sea ice lows, rising extremes
