As the summer progresses, the signals are clear: August 2025 could become the hottest month ever recorded globally. This marks not only a climate milestone — but a pivotal moment for our collective response to the crisis.
Extreme temperatures: historic thresholds crossed
Preliminary data show that June 2025 was the hottest month ever recorded in Western Europe, with an anomaly of +2.81°C above the 1991–2020 average. Globally, it ranks as the third warmest June on record.
Seasonal forecasts suggest that heatwaves will intensify, becoming more frequent, longer-lasting, and harder to predict. If this trend continues, 2025 could become the hottest year in modern history, according to multiple public climate agencies.
Wildfires and air quality: Canada on the front lines
Since mid-May, over 2,600 wildfires have burned across Canada, affecting more than 4.3 million hectares, causing fatalities, mass evacuations, and prolonged air quality alerts.
Hardest-hit provinces: Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta. Major cities — including Montréal, Ottawa, and Toronto — have faced dangerous air pollution peaks. Emissions from wildfires have already reached nearly 56 million tonnes of CO₂, rivaling the worst seasons in recent memory. Severe droughts have also impacted agriculture, threatening yields and livestock.
Europe: 2,300 heatwave-related deaths in June
Starting in late May, lethal heatwaves swept across southern Europe. In June alone, over 2,300 deaths were reported in countries like Spain, Portugal, Italy, and the UK.
Record highs reached 46.6°C in southern Portugal, triggering power outages, school closures, shutdowns of energy infrastructure, and mass public health alerts.
Economic losses on the rise
In Canada, preliminary estimates suggest that climate-related damages this summer could exceed $10 billion, with losses tied to damaged infrastructure, reduced crop yields, public health costs, and disrupted services.
Globally, climate disasters now incur annual costs in the tens of billions, increasingly affecting supply chains, food security, and insurance systems.
August 2025: A Wake-Up Call — and a Launching Pad
In light of this reality, the levers for action are known and readily available at all levels. It is essential to continue investing in greenhouse gas emission reductions to mitigate long-term impacts. At the same time, we must accelerate adaptation measures now: improved land-use management, enhanced early warning systems, support for vulnerable populations, and the integration of mental health into climate policies, among others.
The critical role of local governments and SMEs
Municipalities can lead the way with low-carbon urban planning, building retrofits, and support for local innovation.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are innovation hubs — from resource management and clean energy to circular business models and community-scale solutions.
Governments must strengthen climate policies: carbon pricing, green infrastructure, targeted subsidies, and transitional support for households and industries.
A call for collective mobilization
Summer 2025 will likely be remembered as a turning point. But it can also be the moment we pivot — toward a more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive society.
The knowledge is available. The solutions exist. Now is the time for bold, coordinated action.
To read other climate related news by Planetair, click here.
Sources:
NOAA – Climate News and Stories
Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S)
World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
Government of Canada – Environment and Climate Change
