Posted: 28 August 2025
The sea at night

  • National Oceanography Centre scientists contribute to 35th annual State of the Climate report

  • Sea surface temperatures at record highs

  • Greatest average ice loss for 55 years


The world’s climate continued to break records in 2024. Global temperatures across oceans and land, global sea level and ocean heat all reached record highs, while glaciers lost more ice than in any previous year. 

That’s according to the 35th annual State of the Climate report. The international annual review of the world’s climate, published by the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (BAMS), features key contributions made by several National Oceanography Centre (NOC) scientists. 

The report is compiled by 589 scientists across 58 countries, including NOC’s Dr Richard Cornes, Dr Svetlana Jevrejeva, Professor Simon Josey, Dr Ben Moat and Dr David Smeed. It provides the most comprehensive update on Earth’s climate indicators. 

Record high sea surface temperatures 
Dr Richard Cornes, a Principal Research Scientist in NOC’s Marine Physics and Ocean Climate group, led the Night Marine Air Temperature section of the Global Climate chapter which noted that strong El Niño conditions in the equatorial Pacific Ocean were a key factor in the elevated sea surface temperatures. Daily average sea surface temperatures were at record-high levels for a sustained period of time, from the beginning of 2024 up to late June. 

Dr Cornes emphasised the importance of the report and its findings: “The State of the Climate report underscores the ongoing need to continuously monitor the global climate system, drawing on evidence from diverse data sources. 

“It provides an authoritative insight into our current position, providing a clear reminder of the impact climate change is having on our oceans as well as the world as a whole.”
 

Other key findings 

Ocean heat and global sea level were the highest on record. The global mean sea level was at a record high for the 13th consecutive year, reaching about 4.0 in (105.8 mm) above the 1993 average, when satellite altimetry measurements began. 
 

Glaciers around the world continued to melt. For the second consecutive year, all 58 global reference glaciers across five continents lost mass in 2024, resulting in the greatest average ice loss in the 55-year record. In South America, Venezuela became the first Andes country to register the loss of all glaciers. In Colombia, the Conejeras Glacier was declared extinct, joining the list of glaciers that have disappeared in recent years 
 

The Arctic saw near-record warmth. The Arctic had its second-warmest year in the 125-year record, with autumn (October to December) having been record warm. During the summer, an intense August heatwave brought all-time record-high temperatures to parts of the northwest North American Arctic, and record-high August monthly mean temperatures at Svalbard Airport reached more than 52°F (11°C). 
 

Antarctica saw continued low sea ice. Following record lows in 2023, net sea ice extent was larger than last year but continued to be well below average during much of 2024. The Antarctic daily minimum and maximum sea ice extents for the year were each the second lowest on record behind 2023, marking a continuation of low and record-low sea ice extent since 2016.
 

David J Stensrud, President of the American Meteorological Society, said: “The State of the Climate report is an annual scientific landmark. It is a truly global effort, in which hundreds of researchers from universities, government agencies, and more come together to provide a careful, rigorously peer-reviewed report on our planet’s climate. 

“High-quality observations and findings from all over the world are incorporated, underscoring the vital importance of observations to monitor, and climate science to understand, our environment. The results affirm the reality of our changing climate, with 2024 global temperatures reaching record highs."
 

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