BERLIN, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- The North Sea posted record annual warmth in 2025, Germany's federal maritime and hydrographic agency (BSH) said on Wednesday.
"In 2025, the North Sea reached an average temperature of 11.6 degrees Celsius, the highest value in the BSH data series since 1969," said Tim Kruschke, head of the BSH's climate team, in a statement.
"It was 0.9 degrees Celsius above the 1997-2021 long-term average," he said. "All months came in well above average, with June and December setting records."
The Baltic Sea also saw unusually high temperatures in 2025, BSH said. The annual average surface temperature reached 9.7 degrees Celsius, up 1.1 degrees Celsius from the 1997-2021 long-term average, making 2025 the second-warmest year for the Baltic Sea in the agency's series dating back to 1990.
"Even if the world stopped emitting greenhouse gases immediately, sea levels would likely keep rising for centuries," BSH President Helge Heegewaldt said, urging more climate protection measures to help safeguard coasts and local communities. ■