Last month was the second-warmest March on RECORD - with global average temperatures hitting 14.06°C
While Britain is only just stepping into Spring, around the world last month's weather was scorching hot
According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), last month was the second warmest March on record.
Average surface air temperatures hit 14.06°C (57.3°F), making the month only 0.08°C (1.44°F) cooler than last year's record-breaking March.
Globally, March was 1.59°C (2.86°F) hotter than the average for 1850 to 1900, the period referred to as 'pre-industrial'.
This makes last month the twentieth out of the last 21 months to exceed the 1.5°C warming target laid out in the Paris Climate Agreement.
These near-record levels of warming make the average temperature for the 12 months up to March 0.71°C (1.28°F) hotter than the 1991-2020 average, and 1.59°C (2.86°F) above the pre-industrial level.
Meanwhile, Europe experienced its hottest March on record with an average temperature of 6.03°C (42.85°F).
Samantha Burgess, deputy director of C3S, says: 'March 2025 was the warmest March for Europe highlighting once again how temperatures are continuing to break records.'
Last month was the third hottest March on record globally and the hottest ever recorded in Europe (right). The month also saw contrasting climate conditions, with some regions remaining dry as others saw their wettest period in over 40 years (left)
C3S looks at temperature readings from a variety of instruments, such as weather stations, balloons, and satellites.
The department's readings refer to the average air temperature for the whole planet over the whole month – so lower than a single typically 'hot' temperature reading.
Globally, this marks yet another month in which global temperatures exceeded the 1.5°C warming target of the Paris Agreement.
However, that does not necessarily mean that the Paris Agreement restrictions have already been breached.
The Paris Agreement refers to temperature averages calculated over decades rather than individual years, so there is still time for countries to try and meet their commitments.
But it does seem more likely that the global average temperatures will continue to follow their record-breaking trend.
Last December, November, October and September were all the second-hottest for that respective month, according to C3S, while August 2024 was the joint-warmest August globally, tied with August 2023.
Summer 2024 (June to August) was the hottest summer on record, while last year was the hottest year on record.
Average surface air temperatures hit 14.06°C (57.3°F), making the month only 0.08°C (1.44°F) cooler than last year's record-breaking March. Europe experienced its hottest March on record with an average temperature of 6.03°C (42.85°F). Pictured: People enjoying a warm day on Bournemouth Beach on March 30
Likewise, this January was the hottest on record while February was the third hottest ever recorded.
Last month was particularly hot in Europe, where the average surface temperature was 2.41°C (4.34°F) above the 1991 to 2020 average for March.
While parts of Europe, including Spain and southern France, experienced a cool, wet March other areas were hit by unseasonably high temperatures.
In particular, Eastern Europe and parts of Southwest Russia saw temperatures well above the historical average.
Warmer temperatures also had a negative effect on sea ice levels in the Antarctic and Arctic regions.
Arctic sea ice reached its lowest monthly extent in March in the 47-year satellite record.
Arctic sea ice covered an area six per cent smaller than average, marking the fourth month in a row when sea ice extents have seen record-breaking lows.
Likewise, Antarctic sea ice hit its fourth lowest monthly extent for March, standing 24 per cent lower than average.
March was 1.59°C (2.86°F) hotter than the average for 1850 to 1900, the period referred to as 'pre-industrial'. Making it the twentieth out of the last 21 months to exceed the 1.5°C warming target laid out in the Paris Climate Agreement.
Arctic sea ice hit its lowest extent for March in the 47-year satellite record. This is the fourth month in a row that Arctic sea ice has set a new record low for the month
Average sea surface temperatures hit 20.96°C (69.72°F), the second highest on record.
According to C3S, sea temperatures were just 0.12°C (0.22°F) below the March record set in 2024.
This comes after research found the melting sea ice in the Antarctic threatens to destabilise the world's strongest ocean current, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC).
This would trigger a 'vicious' cycle of global warming and melting ice as the ACC would no longer be able to play its vital role in regulating the world's temperature.
'It was also a month with contrasting rainfall extremes across Europe,' Ms Burgess says.
'With many areas experiencing their driest March on record and others their wettest March on record for at least the past 47 years.'
During March, most of Europe experienced wetter-than-average conditions, especially Spain's Iberian Peninsula which was hit by storms and widespread flooding.
However, the UK and Ireland were notably drier and warmer than the average for the month, as was a large part of central Europe.
