A new European climate report has highlighted widespread temperature extremes, shrinking ice and increasing environmental pressures across the continent.

The European State of the Climate (ESOTC) 2025 report, produced by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF)and the World Meteorological Organization, identifies Europe as the fastest-warming continent, with impacts ranging from record heat waves to biodiversity loss.

According to the report, at least 95% of Europe experienced above-average annual temperatures in 2025. A three-week heat wave in sub-Arctic Fennoscandia saw temperatures exceed 30°C within the Arctic Circle. Furthermore, overall cold extremes declined, with fewer freezing days recorded across much of the continent.

Continue reading European climate report highlights record heat, glacier loss and rising extremes at Meteorological Technology International.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has indicated a growing likelihood that El Niño conditions will develop from mid-2026, with potential impacts on global temperature and rainfall patterns.

According to the agency’s latest Global Seasonal Climate Update, sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific are rising, pointing to a possible return of El Niño as early as May-July 2026. Forecasts suggest a “nearly global dominance of above-normal land surface temperatures” during the upcoming three-month period.

Wilfran Moufouma Okia, chief of climate prediction at the WMO, said, “After a period of neutral conditions at the start of the year, climate models are now strongly aligned, and there is high confidence in the onset of El Niño, followed by further intensification in the months that follow.”

He added that uncertainty remains due to the “spring predictability barrier,” a known limitation in forecasting at this time of year, though confidence typically improves after April.

Continue reading WMO signals increasing likelihood of El Niño developing in 2026 at Meteorological Technology International.

The sharp increase in the frequency, intensity and duration of extreme heat events over the past 50 years is set to create significant risks to agrifood systems and ecosystems in the future, according to a new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

The joint FAO-WMO report describes the physical science of extreme heat, the vulnerabilities observed and the projected impacts on agriculture. It also offers adaptation strategies, case studies and policy recommendations.

“This work highlights how extreme heat is a major risk multiplier, exerting mounting pressure on crops, livestock, fisheries and forests, and on the communities and economies that depend upon them,” said FAO director-general Qu Dongyu.

Continue reading Extreme heat posing significant risks to ecosystems and agriculture, FAO-WMO report warns at Meteorological Technology International.

A regional training initiative is underway to strengthen flood forecasting capabilities in Central Africa, where floods are becoming more frequent and severe.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), in collaboration with the AGRHYMET Regional Center and the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI), is supporting the development of the FANFAR river flood forecasting system across the region.

FANFAR provides forecasts of river flood risk up to 10 days in advance, using hydrological modeling of major river basins alongside meteorological data.

The initiative follows significant flooding events in 2024, when floods in Chad and the Democratic Republic of Congo affected 1.9 million and 1.2 million people respectively, according to OCHA.

Continue reading Regional training aims to improve flood forecasting in Central Africa at Meteorological Technology International.

The Earth’s climate system is “increasingly out of balance”, with key indicators reaching record levels, according to the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) State of the Global Climate 2025 report.

The report confirms that 2015-2025 were the hottest 11 years on record, with 2025 ranking as the second or third warmest year, at around 1.43°C above the 1850-1900 average.

For the first time, the report highlights the Earth’s energy imbalance as a key metric. This measures the difference between incoming solar energy and outgoing heat. The imbalance reached its highest level in the 65-year observational record in 2025, driven by rising greenhouse gas concentrations.

Continue reading Global climate indicators reach record imbalance, WMO warns at Meteorological Technology International.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has retired the name Melissa from its Atlantic hurricane naming list following the destruction caused by Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean in October 2025. The name will be replaced with Molly in future storm name rotations.

The decision was made by the WMO Hurricane Committee during a meeting in Mexico City from March 2-5. The committee consists of experts from national meteorological and hydrological services across North America, Central America and the Caribbean under WMO Regional Association IV.

Hurricane Melissa reached Category 5 intensity on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, with maximum sustained winds of around 300km/h.

Continue reading WMO retires Hurricane Melissa name after deadly 2025 storm at Meteorological Technology International.

The recent weak La Niña event is expected to fade into ENSO-neutral conditions in the coming months, with an increasing possibility of a shift toward El Niño later this year, according to the latest update from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

WMO Global Producing Centre forecasts indicate a 60% probability of ENSO-neutral conditions – neither El Niño nor La Niña – during March-May 2026, rising to 70% during April-June. For May-July, the likelihood of neutral conditions is estimated at 60%, while the probability of El Niño increases to around 40%.

Forecast uncertainty increases at longer lead times.

Continue reading ENSO neutral conditions expected as La Niña fades, with rising El Niño chances at Meteorological Technology International.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Convention on Wetlands have signed a new cooperation agreement aimed at strengthening the protection of wetland ecosystems that help safeguard communities from natural hazards and play a key role in the global water cycle.

WMO secretary-general Celeste Saulo and Musonda Mumba, secretary general of the Convention on Wetlands, signed the memorandum of understanding on January 19.

Under the agreement, WMO’s expertise in Earth system monitoring, data exchange, science and research will support efforts to preserve wetlands as critical ecosystems. In turn, the Convention on Wetlands will contribute its expertise to help inform tailored products and tools for policymakers and other stakeholders.

Continue reading WMO and Convention on Wetlands sign cooperation agreement at Meteorological Technology International.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has confirmed that 2025 was one of the three warmest years on record, extending a run in which the past 11 years have been the 11 warmest since modern measurements began. Ocean warming also continued unabated, reinforcing long-term climate trends.

According to WMO’s consolidated analysis of eight global temperature datasets, the global average surface temperature in 2025 was 1.44°C above the 1850-1900 average, with a margin of uncertainty of ±0.13°C. Two datasets ranked 2025 as the second warmest year in the 176-year record, while the remaining six ranked it third warmest.

The years 2023-2025 were the three warmest years in all eight datasets, with a consolidated three-year average temperature of 1.48°C above pre-industrial levels.

Continue reading WMO confirms 2025 was one of the three warmest years on record at Meteorological Technology International.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) have released a new publication outlining how early warning systems can help strengthen the resilience of energy systems against growing climate- and weather-related risks.

Published on December 17, 2025, the technical document Best Practices on Early Warning Systems for the Energy Sector and Electricity Industry: Case Studies from China examines how extreme weather events such as heat waves, typhoons and flooding are placing increasing pressure on power systems worldwide, disrupting energy infrastructure and operations. It highlights the growing need for actionable, impact-based early warning services tailored specifically to the energy sector.

Continue reading New report highlights role of early warning systems in strengthening energy resilience at Meteorological Technology International.