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The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) has reported that May 2026 was the second-warmest May globally since records began, underscoring continued record-high temperatures across the planet.
The global average surface air temperature reached 15.81 degrees Celsius (60.46 degrees Fahrenheit), which is 0.55 degrees Celsius above the 1991–2020 average. According to C3S, only May 2024 was warmer.
Scientists noted that both land and ocean temperatures remained unusually high during the month. Sea surface temperatures stayed near record levels, particularly across the tropical Pacific, where conditions continue to indicate a potential development of El Nino.
Europe experienced a significant and rapid transition in weather conditions, shifting from cooler-than-average temperatures early in the month to an intense early-season heatwave in the second half of May.
Western European countries, including France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Portugal, recorded some of their most severe May heat conditions on record. In several regions, apparent (feels-like) temperatures reached between 35 degrees Celsius and 40 degrees Celsius, leading to widespread heat stress and the breaking of multiple temperature records.
Weather patterns across Europe were highly uneven. Flooding was reported in Türkiye, Bulgaria, and Moldova, while northern Europe and parts of Scandinavia experienced wetter-than-average conditions.
In contrast, central and eastern Europe recorded below-average rainfall, with reduced river flows observed in major basins including the Danube and Vistula.
Sea ice extent in both polar regions remained below historical averages.
Arctic sea ice was approximately 4% below average, ranking among the lowest extents for May on record. Antarctic sea ice was about 9% below average, marking the seventh-lowest level for the month, with particularly low coverage in the Bellingshausen Sea.
Outside Europe, precipitation patterns also showed strong regional contrasts.
Wetter-than-average conditions were observed in parts of North America, Brazil, southern Africa, Australia, and China, while drier-than-average conditions affected the central United States, much of South America, Madagascar, and southwestern Australia.
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