The world just experienced its hottest May since records began, making a record 12th month in a row of never-before-seen high temperatures.
According to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service , temperatures for May 2024 worldwide came in at 1.52 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average. Record temperatures also meant that May was the 11th month in a row in which the world exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius .
The extreme temperatures caused a wide range of effects in different regions of the world. Heavy rains caused widespread flooding in central Europe, while the U.K. and Ireland saw wetter than average weather. Southwestern Asia saw extreme flooding, while unseasonal typhoons affected Japan, the Philippines and China. Meanwhile, Mexico and parts of the USA and Canada saw drier than average weather bringing droughts and wildfires.
"Until we reach net-zero global emissions the climate will continue to warm, will continue to break records, and will continue to produce more ever more extreme weather events,” Burgess said. “If we choose to continue to add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere then 2023-2024 will soon look like a cool year, in a similar way to how 2015-2016 now appears."Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations.