1210. Global Sea Ice Extent Reaches Record Low in February 2025

Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) announced that in February 2025, global sea ice extent reached a record low and the third warmest February on record.

The global daily sea ice extent, which combines sea ice extent in both polar regions, reached a record low in early February, falling below the monthly record high recorded in February 2023. Arctic sea ice extent may have reached a monthly low for February, falling 8% below average. This marks the third consecutive month that sea ice extent has set a record. Antarctic sea ice extent was the fourth-lowest on record for a February, 26% below average.

February 2025 was the third warmest February on record globally, with an average surface air temperature of 13.36°C, 0.63°C higher than the 1991-2020 February average and just 0.03°C higher than the fourth warmest February of 2020. February 2025 was 1.59°C higher than the estimated 1850-1900 average used to define pre-industrial levels, making it the 19th of the past 20 months that global average surface air temperatures were at least 1.5°C higher than pre-industrial levels. The global average temperature during the 2025 boreal winter (December 2024 to February 2025) was 0.71°C higher than the 1991-2020 average during these three months, but 0.05°C lower than the 2024 boreal winter record, making it the second-warmest on record. Over the 12-month period from March 2024 to February 2025, temperatures were 0.71°C higher than the 1991-2020 average and 1.59°C higher than pre-industrial levels.

Contributor: IIYAMA Miyuki, Information Program