warmest May on record » Yale Climate Connections
Yale Climate Connections • • world
Key Points:
- May 2026 was the second-warmest May globally since 1850, trailing only May 2024, with January-May 2026 ranking as the fourth-highest average temperature on record, according to NOAA, NASA, and the European Copernicus Climate Change Service.
- The year 2026 has about a 95% chance of ranking among the four warmest years on record, with an El Niño event likely to develop, potentially increasing global temperatures further.
- Wildfire activity surged in early 2026, with the highest burned area globally for January-May in 15 years and record-high burned areas in the U.S., driven in part by massive wildfires in Nebraska.
- Arctic and Antarctic sea ice extents for May 2026 were the second-lowest on record, while the contiguous U.S. experienced its second-warmest spring since 1895 and record-low 12-month snowfall averages.
- Numerous temperature extremes were recorded in May 2026, including new national heat records in Chad and Bahrain, 11 major weather stations setting all-time heat records, and 31 nations or territories breaking monthly heat records during the year so far.