May marks 12th warmest month of record: EU climate monitor

Last month was the warmest May on record globally, marking the 12th consecutive month of record-high global average temperatures, the European Union's (EU) climate monitoring network said on Wednesday, reported Xinhua.

Data from the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) revealed that the global average surface air temperature for May 2024 was 0.65 degrees Celsius above the 1991-2020 average.

"It is shocking but not surprising that we have reached this 12-month streak," C3S Director Carlo Buontempo said in a statement.

He pointed out that although this sequence of record-breaking months will eventually end, the overall pattern of climate change continues, with no signs of reversal in sight.

The global average temperature for May 2024 was 1.52 degrees Celsius above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average, marking the 11th consecutive month at or above 1.5 degrees Celsius, according to C3S data.

Wednesday's data also showed that the global average temperature for the past 12 months has been the highest on record, standing at 0.75 degrees Celsius above the 1991-2020 average and 1.63 degrees Celsius above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average.