July 2025 was Earth’s third-warmest July on record and tropical cyclone activity was above average, while snow and ice were below average
July Highlights:
- Third-warmest July for global surface temperature, behind 2024 and 2023.
- July saw below-average snow cover extent in the Northern Hemisphere.
- Sea ice extent was among the four lowest extents on record for both poles.
- With 14 named storms, global tropical cyclone activity was above average for July.
Temperature
July 2025 had the third-highest July global surface temperature in NOAA’s 176-year record, with temperatures 1.80°F (1.00°C) higher than the 20th-century baseline. Only July 2024 (warmest) and July 2023 were warmer. All 10-warmest Julys on record have occurred since 2016. The January–July 2025 global surface temperature was the second-highest on record, only 0.18°F (0.10°C) shy of tying the record set from January–July 2024. According to NCEI’s Global Annual Temperature Outlook, there is a very high likelihood that 2025 will rank among the five warmest years on record. However, it is unlikely that 2025 will rank as the warmest year on record.
July saw widespread significantly warmer-than-average temperatures across the globe. Departures exceeding 1°C (1.8°F) were notable across parts of Europe, Asia, northern Africa, the northern Pacific Ocean, North America, South America and Antarctica. Conversely, below-average temperatures were present across much of Antarctica, as well as parts of western and eastern Africa, Australia, India, northern Asia, a band across central North America and the eastern Pacific Ocean, along with small areas across the Atlantic Ocean.
Several regions experienced a top-ten warmest July in 2025. Both Europe and Asia had their fourth-warmest July on record. The Arctic region, Africa and the Caribbean region had their seventh, eighth and ninth warmest, respectively. North America, South America, Oceania and the Hawaiian region all had above-average temperatures for July, though none of these ranked among their 10-warmest Julys on record. In contrast, the Antarctic region had a slightly below-average temperature, making it the coldest July for the region since 2016.
Precipitation
Globally, precipitation patterns varied. Drier-than-average conditions were observed across Alaska, parts of Canada, southern Mexico and much of the western contiguous U.S. extending into parts of the southeastern U.S. Drier conditions also affected the Scandinavian region and southern parts of Europe, extending into parts of western Asia, as well as central and eastern Asia. In contrast, wetter-than-average conditions occurred across much of the eastern half of the contiguous U.S., northern Mexico, central Europe and parts of central and eastern Asia.
Snow Cover
In July, Northern Hemisphere snow cover extent was 120,000 square miles below average, ranking as the 15th-smallest July extent on record. North America and Greenland had near-average snow cover for the month, totaling 1.04 million square miles. The overall deficit was driven by Eurasia, where snow cover was 120,000 square miles below average, tying with four other years for the seventh-smallest July extent on record.
Sea Ice
Global sea ice extent in July 2025 was the third-smallest in the 47-year record, measuring 970,000 square miles below the 1991–2020 average. Looking at the poles individually, Arctic sea ice extent was the fourth-smallest extent for July, at 420,000 square miles below average, while Antarctic sea ice extent was the third smallest for July, at 540,000 square miles below average.
Tropical Cyclones
Global tropical cyclone activity in July 2025 was above average, with 14 named storms. Activity in the Atlantic and East Pacific basins were near average. The West Pacific basin, however, experienced above-average activity with eight named storms, double its average of four for the month. This figure tied with three other years for the highest number of named storms recorded in the West Pacific during July. The North Indian basin remained quiet with no storms during the month.
One named storm developed in the South Indian Ocean, with no other storms forming in the remaining Southern Hemisphere basins.
For a more complete summary of climate conditions and events, see our July 2025 Global Climate Report or explore our Climate at a Glance Global Time Series.
