According to NASA, there is “unequivocal evidence that Earth is warming at an unprecedented rate”. Data from Copernicus, the European Earth Observation program for the European Space Agency, shows that July 22, 2024, was the world’s hottest daily global average temperature since the institution’s records began in 1940 (hitting a global average of 17.16 °C/62.76 °F).
At a regional scale too, absolute temperature records are being broken around the globe. Just in the years 2022-2024, 36 countries broke their all-time national heat records, some of them more than once. In 2025, no all-time records were broken so far. Some of the most recent records were set in Southeast Asia in 2024, when an exceptional heatwave hit the region. Cambodia set a new record at 42.8 °C/109.0 °F, while Laos hit a new all-time high of 43.7 °C/110.7 °F.
The climate change scifi "book Ministry of for the Future" starts with a massive heat wave in India that kills millions this year, 2025. It's a great book. It shows hard times ahead but humanity is able to get through it. It's both a critical look but an optimistic one for the future. It's good to have grounded hope!
It's staggering to see how quickly climate records are falling around the globe. What used to be rare extremes are now becoming the new normal. If this pace continues, we're not just heading toward a warmer planet...