BRUSSELS – The data shows that last month ranked just behind May 2024, which remains the hottest May on record since measurements began in 1940.
According to the report, the global average temperature in May stood at 1.42°C above pre-industrial levels from the 19th century, reflecting a sustained upward warming trend.
Scientists attribute the elevated temperatures to a combination of long-term human-driven climate change and the El Niño phenomenon, which naturally occurs every two to seven years due to weakening trade winds and warming surface waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
The Copernicus Climate Change Service noted that Western Europe experienced one of its most severe early-year heatwaves in recent history, consistent with scientific warnings that the continent is warming at a faster rate than the global average.
The report also highlighted that extreme weather events occurred concurrently across different regions, including deadly floods in China and Türkiye, alongside unusually high sea surface temperatures in parts of the Pacific Ocean.
Experts warn that El Niño conditions are expected to persist in the coming months, potentially increasing the likelihood of drought in some regions while intensifying heavy rainfall and flooding in others, further heightening global climate volatility.