November 2025 ranked third warmest; third-warmest September–November on record for the globe
November Highlights:
- The global surface temperature for the month and season were each the third warmest on record for their respective periods.
- Year-to-date period ranked as second-warmest on record.
- Snow cover extent was below average across the Northern Hemisphere regions.
- Sea ice extent in both polar regions ranked among the four lowest on record.
- Global tropical cyclone activity was below normal with six named storms.
Temperature
November 2025 ranked as the third-warmest November in NOAA’s 176-year record, with a global surface temperature 2.12°F (1.18°C) higher than the 20th-century baseline. All 10 of the warmest Novembers on record have occurred since 2015, with the most recent three years (2023, 2024 and 2025) comprising the top three.
In November 2025, unusually high temperatures gripped large portions of the globe. The most notable high temperature departures were observed across much of the Arctic, Northern Hemisphere land surfaces and the eastern half of Antarctica. Several regions across the globe experienced their warmest November on record, including small pockets across North America, Africa, Asia, Australia and across the western Pacific and Southern Oceans. Most continents experienced a top 10 warm November. Notably, North America and Europe experienced their second-warmest November on record.
In contrast, notable below-average conditions affected the northeastern half of Russia, and across parts of southern Asia, the central and tropical Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean and western Antarctica. However, no land or ocean areas experienced record-cold November temperatures.
Seasonal
Globally, the September–November 2025 surface temperature was also the third highest in NOAA’s 176-year record. Only the respective September–November periods of 2023 and 2024 were warmer. This three-month period, defined as meteorological autumn for the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern Hemisphere, was also the third warmest on record for both hemispheres individually.
Year-to-date
Looking at the year-to-date, the January–November global surface temperature was the second-highest on record. While it trails 2024, the 2025 year-to-date value is only 0.02°F (0.01°C) higher than the same period in 2023, which currently sits in third place. According to NCEI’s Global Annual Temperature Outlook, it is very likely that 2025 will rank among the three warmest years on record. However, it is very unlikely that it will rank as the warmest year on record.
Snow Cover
November snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere was 750,000 square miles below average, resulting in the 15th-smallest November extent in the historical record. This was driven primarily by Eurasia, which had its 16th-smallest extent at 590,000 square miles below average. North America and Greenland’s snow cover extent was slightly below average (by 160,000 square miles), ranking near the middle of the historical record. A lack of snow cover was predominant across much of the western contiguous U.S., central Canada, southern Europe, western Russia extending to Kazakhstan and across parts of China. In contrast, above-average snow cover extent was observed across southwestern and eastern Canada, central and northeastern U.S., central Europe, much of southern Russia, Mongolia and the Himalayas.
Sea Ice
Global sea ice extent was the second smallest for November in the historical record at 1.03 million square miles below the 1991–2020 average. The Arctic sea ice extent was below average by 530,000 square miles, the second-smallest November extent in the 47-year record.
The Antarctic sea ice extent for November was the fourth smallest at 500,000 square miles below average.
Tropical Cyclones
Global tropical cyclone activity in November was below normal, producing only six named storms. Of these, four reached tropical cyclone strength, and three intensified into major tropical cyclones. The majority of the activity occurred in the Northern Hemisphere (three in the West Pacific and two in the North Indian oceans), with only one occurring in the Australian region. No storms formed in the North Atlantic or East Pacific basins.
In November, the Philippines was affected by three consecutive storms—Typhoon Kalmaegi, Typhoon Fung-Wong and Typhoon Koto—that together created one of the country’s most destructive late-season periods. The combination of these storms caused significant loss of life and major infrastructure damage, complicating rescue, relief and recovery efforts since communities did not have time to recover between storms.
In addition, Severe Tropical Cyclone Fina was only the second major tropical cyclone observed in the Australian region in November since 1981.
For a more complete summary of climate conditions and events, see our November 2025 Global Climate Report or explore our Climate at a Glance Global Time Series.
