Key facts
- May was the second-hottest May on record globally, with temperatures 1.42 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial averages.
- The hottest May on record occurred in 2024.
- Western Europe experienced one of its most severe early-season heatwaves.
- The Pacific Ocean recorded exceptionally high temperatures as it transitions towards El Niño conditions.
- El Niño is expected to form in the coming months and fuel extreme weather globally.
The world experienced its second-hottest May on record, with average global temperatures 1.42 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) reported. This follows the hottest May on record, which occurred in 2024.
Western Europe endured one of the most severe heatwaves recorded so early in the year. C3S noted this extreme heat aligns with scientific expectations for how climate change will impact the continent, which is warming faster than the global average.
Exceptionally high temperatures were also recorded in parts of the Pacific Ocean as it transitions towards El Niño conditions. This weather pattern, which occurs naturally every two to seven years, is expected to form in the coming months and fuel extreme weather events worldwide. El Niño typically results in higher global temperatures and disrupted rainfall patterns, leading to drought in some regions and heavy rains in others. Last month also saw fatal floods in China and Turkey.