The world has just recorded the second hottest May since the data was compiled, according to a report released on June 10 by the Copernicus Climate Change Agency (C3S) of the European Union.
C3S said last May was only behind May 2024 in heat levels, in a climate dataset tracked since 1940. The global average temperature in the month was 1.42 degrees Celsius higher than the average of the pre-industrial period in the 19th century.
According to scientists, climate change along with the development of the El Niño weather phenomenon has contributed to increasing the average temperature on both land and ocean.
Western Europe is currently experiencing one of the most severe heat waves ever recorded in such an early stage of the year. C3S assesses that extreme temperatures in Europe are consistent with scientific forecasts about the impact of climate change on the fastest growing continent in the world.
In the Pacific, some areas record unusually high sea temperatures as the ocean gradually moves to El Niño state. This phenomenon is forecast to form in the coming months and is likely to promote extreme weather phenomena globally.
In May, extreme weather caused many serious impacts, including deadly floods in China and Turkey.
Scientists believe that the combination of the warming trend due to climate change and the formation of El Niño is continuing to put pressure on the global climate system.
