January 2025 was the warmest January in the transition, with global temperatures rising 1.75°C above pre-industrial temperatures. This surprised scientists because La Niña weather was expected to cool the tropical Pacific, according to a report by the Copernicus Climate Change Service. The reasons for the high temperatures include the reduction of cloud separation and the decrease in low cloud cover due to the treatment of ship fuels in 2020. Ocean temperatures are also high, and scientists are watching to see how this will affect the climate. Arctic sea ice reached a record low in January, but it is not expected to be warmer in 2025 until 2023 and 2024. Scientists agree that the burning of fossil fuels is driving long-term global warming, but natural climate variability is also easing the temperature. The current period is thought to be a warm period, with 125,000 years on the planet.