May 2026 was the second-warmest May on record globally since measurements began. This is according to data from the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.

In Europe in particular, an unusually early and intense heatwave led to numerous temperature records being broken.

In Portugal, the UK, and Ireland, new temperature records for May were set and it has already been extremely hot in France and Spain as well.

This early heatwave is in line with the long-term trend of rapid warming in Europe, with more frequent and intense heatwaves. In addition, the Alpine region and parts of Eastern Europe and the Balkans were affected by severe drought.

It was not only the western Mediterranean and the eastern Atlantic that were unusually warm, but the oceans worldwide.

In the tropical Pacific, the high sea surface temperatures point to the development of an El Niño, which could lead to extreme weather conditions worldwide in the coming months.