Summer of 2025 marked a global climate milestone, with record temperatures in the United Kingdom, Japan, and South Korea.
According to the British National Meteorological Service (Met Office), the United Kingdom experienced its warmest summer since records began in 1884, with an average temperature of 16.10°C between June and August, surpassing the previous record of 2018 (15.76°C).
United Kingdom: four heatwaves and historic highs
The persistent heat was driven by high-pressure systems, warm seas, and dry soils.
During the British summer, four heatwaves were recorded, with a maximum temperature of 35.8°C registered on July 1 in Kent. Scientist Emily Carlisle explained that the phenomenon was the result of a combination of factors:
Prolonged atmospheric high pressure
Unusually warm temperatures in surrounding seas
Dry soils following a spring with little rainfall
“These conditions favor the accumulation and persistence of heat, with maximum and minimum temperatures well above average,” Carlisle pointed out.
The historic summer of 1976 (15.70°C) fell out of the top five warmest, all now occurring after the year 2000. Met Office warned that a summer like that of 2025 is 70 times more likely in the context of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions.
Record temperatures in the United Kingdom. EFE/ Facundo Arrizabalaga
Japan: absolute record and health crisis due to extreme heat
Over 84,000 hospitalizations between May and August due to heatstrokes.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) confirmed that the country experienced its hottest summer since 1898, with an average temperature 2.36°C above the standard value. It was the third consecutive summer with thermal records, and the impact was severe:
84,521 people hospitalized for heatstrokes between May 1 and August 24
Erratic weather patterns and sustained temperature increases
South Korea: historic highs and extreme drought
Gangneung declares a national disaster due to lack of drinkable water.
South Korea also broke its historical record, with an average temperature of 25.7°C between June and August, surpassing the 2024 record (25.6°C).
The Korean Meteorological Administration reported that the coastal city of Gangneung, with 200,000 inhabitants, is facing a prolonged drought:
Obong Reservoir below 15% capacity
State of national disaster declared
Climate Change: an intensifying trend
Extreme summers are no longer exceptional but part of a new climate normal.
The increase in average temperatures in different regions of the world confirms a global trend of accelerated warming, with direct consequences on public health, water security, and urban and rural resilience.