Last month was the hottest January on record, surprising scientists who expected cooler temperatures due to La Niña, a climate pattern that typically lowers global temperatures.
Raymond Zhong reports for The New York Times.
In short:
- Despite La Niña, which usually cools the planet, January 2025 was abnormally warm, continuing a years-long trend of rising global temperatures.
- Some scientists suspect reductions in air pollution may be amplifying warming by decreasing sulfate particles, which previously helped cool the planet by reflecting sunlight.
- Climate expert James Hansen warned that current U.N. climate strategies might be insufficient to meet global warming targets.
Key quote:
Those climate goals now look "impossible" to achieve, "unless some miracle occurs that we don’t understand.”
— James Hansen, former NASA scientist
Why this matters:
For decades, scientists have understood that natural cooling cycles — driven by phenomena like volcanic eruptions, ocean currents or cyclical shifts in solar radiation — can temporarily offset the planet’s warming. But recent data suggests these expected cooldowns aren’t providing the relief they once did, raising new concerns that climate change is moving even faster than projected.
