The global climate trajectory reached another significant milestone last month. May 2026 registered as the second-warmest May globally since records began, according to the latest monthly report from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.
Data released on Wednesday indicates that the global average surface air temperature for the month reached 15.81 degrees Celsius, standing 0.55 degrees Celsius above the 1991–2020 average. This level is surpassed only by the record highs observed in May 2024.
Europe’s rapid thermal transition
Across Europe, the monthly data revealed a rapid shift from below-average baseline temperatures during the initial weeks to one of the most intense early-season heatwaves ever recorded in western parts of the continent. This sudden transition produced widespread heat-stress conditions during the second half of the month, with “feels-like” temperatures climbing between 35 degrees Celsius and 40 degrees Celsius in heavily affected zones.
The sudden influx of heat led to numerous localized temperature records being broken for the month. France, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Portugal emerged as the nations most affected by the anomalies. Climate scientists noted that the speed of the transition provided very little time for local populations, agricultural sectors, or ecosystems to acclimatize to the higher thermal thresholds.
According to Copernicus analysts, the event aligns precisely with Europe’s long-term warming trend, which is increasingly characterized by more frequent, more intense and earlier heat extremes.
Precipitation extremes and hydrological contrast
The European continent also experienced sharp contrasts in its hydrological patterns throughout May, dividing regions between severe dryness and heavy rainfall. Much of western, central and eastern Europe, including Spain and Italy, recorded drier-than-average conditions, with this prolonged dry spell contributing to reduced river flows below historical averages across several major basins. Conversely, a separate weather system brought intense, concentrated precipitation further east, where parts of Türkiye, Bulgaria and Moldova were severely affected by flash flooding.
Read more: Earth scorches new temperature record: World’s hottest day revealed
Looming impact of El Niño on global weather
On a global scale, May 2026 continued a multi-year trend of near-record temperatures across both the atmosphere and the world’s oceans. Sea surface temperatures between 60 degrees South and 60 degrees North averaged 20.90 degrees Celsius, marking the second-highest average ever recorded for May.
“May 2026 was the second warmest May on record globally, extending the exceptional global warmth, with near-record temperatures in both the atmosphere and the ocean,” said Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, which operates the Copernicus service. “In Europe, an unusually early and intense heatwave demonstrates how quickly climate extremes are becoming the new normal rather than the exception.”
The report also highlighted that the tropical Pacific Ocean is continuing its transition toward an El Niño phase, which is expected to develop further in the coming months and potentially exacerbate extreme weather patterns globally through the remainder of the year.
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