Climate Change Intensifies Extreme Weather in Sweden and Globally in 2025

A comprehensive report released by the World Weather Attribution (WWA) network reveals that climate change has critically intensified extreme weather events around the world in 2025, including in Sweden. The global average temperature has surpassed 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels for the first time in three years, marking a dire milestone in the climate crisis.

In 2025, WWA identified 157 extreme weather events globally, with floods and heatwaves being the most common phenomena. Europe experienced a devastating heatwave during the summer that led to an estimated 24,000 deaths. Sweden, specifically, saw 17 of 22 analyzed extreme weather events worsened or likely caused by climate change, underscoring the direct impact on the nation.

These extreme events are causing significant humanitarian suffering, especially among vulnerable and marginalized groups, who are disproportionately affected. The challenge is further compounded by scarce data from the Global South, which limits local disaster analysis and crisis response.

Professor Friederike Otto from Imperial College London, a co-author of the report, stressed the urgent nature of these risks, describing them as increasingly real and deadly. She emphasized that continued reliance on coal, oil, and gas fuels not only causes tragic loss of life but also inflicts massive economic damage and irreversible environmental harm.

The findings call for urgent policy action to reduce fossil fuel dependence and mitigate further climate-driven disasters. This report sheds light on how inextricably linked climate change is to escalating extreme weather, with Sweden facing profound consequences within the broader global crisis.