"Thermal equilibrium" refers to a state where two objects or systems have the same temperature, so there is no transfer of heat between them. Full definition
Local thermal equilibrium in the atmosphere also has a specific meaning. (scienceofdoom.com)
As to weather events: One thing that is reasonably clear is that these weather events are occurring while the radiative forcing is above the relatively stable thermal equilibrium. (realclimate.org)
This achieve this order biological system operate far from thermal equilibrium, posing significant challenges to their theoretical understanding. (dresden-ipp.de)