Content Toolkit: People Exposed to Climate Change: December 2025 - February 2026
A Climate Central seasonal analysis of how climate change boosted temperatures worldwide
EMBARGOED UNTIL: Wednesday, March 18 @ 12 AM ET, 5 AM CET
Every day from December 2025 to February 2026, more than one in six people on the planet experienced temperatures with a strong climate change influence.
In 124 countries (home to nearly 2.5 billion people), the average person experienced at least 30 days with temperatures strongly influenced by climate change.
In 45 countries, all of the risky heat days in the past three months were driven by climate change.
Nearly 228 million people experienced 30 days or more of risky heat added by climate change during the last three months, and most of these people (81%) live in Africa.
In 54 U.S. cities, mostly in the western U.S., the average person experienced at least two weeks' worth of temperatures made at least two times more likely by climate change.

Dec-Feb Warm Days Driven by Climate Change
Number of days at or above CSI 2 during Dec 2025 - Feb 2026 (per capita average)
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Dec-Feb Risky Heat Days Added by Climate Change
Number of risky heat days during Dec 2025 - Feb 2026 (per capita average)
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Dec-Feb Temperature Departure from Normal
Seasonal temperature anomaly (°C), or difference from normal (per capita average)
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U.S. Winter Warmth Boosted by Climate Change
Total winter days (Dec 2025 - Feb 2026) with a Climate Shift Index level 2 or higher
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U.S. Dec-Feb Temperature Departure from Normal
Winter (December 2025 - February 2026) average temperature anomalies relative to 1991-2000 normals.
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Video Downloads
Need an expert for your storytelling?
Free, downloadable, ready-to-air/publish video soundbites that offer expert insight you can cite or include alongside coverage of the report (Featuring: Shel Winkley, Meteorologist — Climate Central)
Resources for telling the climate stories important in your community

