State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean 2025

The State of the Climate in the Latin America and Caribbean report provides details of extreme weather and climate change impacts in the entire region, from the Amazon to the Andes, and from coastal waters to snowy peaks.

Some of the key messages from the report:

• Temperatures remained well above average, with 2025 ranking among the fifth to eighth warmest years on record across Latin America and the Caribbean, at around +0.40 °C above 1991–2020 levels.
• Across the region, extreme rainfall and flooding triggered major humanitarian impacts, including over 110 000 people affected in Peru and Ecuador (March floods), 83 deaths in Mexico (October floods) and widespread landslides and infrastructure damage.
• Record-breaking heat extremes were observed across the region, including 52.7 °C in Mexicali (Mexico) – a new national record – as well as multiple heatwaves exceeding 40 °C–45 °C across Mesoamerica, and an all-time record (37.2 °C) in São Paulo (Brazil)by the end of 2025.
• Prolonged and widespread drought affected large parts of the region, with up to 85% of Mexico impacted, severe water shortages in the Caribbean and over 40% rainfall deficits in parts of southern South America, contributing to agricultural losses and wildfire risk.
• Hurricane Melissa became the first Category 5 hurricane on record to make landfall in Jamaica, leading to 45 deaths and economic losses of approximately 8.8 billion US dollars, more than 41% of GDP. Despite these impacts, successful prior risk modelling enabled both financial and policy preparedness in Jamaica.