The world endured its second-warmest May in recorded history, with global surface temperatures averaging 1.4°C higher than the pre-industrial period of 1850-1900, scientists reported on Wednesday. The heat surge, driven by climate change, resulted in a record-breaking heatwave in Greenland.
May 2025 marked the second-hottest May globally, surpassed only by May 2024, and contributed to the northern hemisphere’s second-hottest March-May spring on record, according to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). Over the past 22 months, 21 have seen global temperatures exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, raising concerns about the planet’s future.
C3S director Carlo Buontempo warned that while this momentary decline in temperature is welcome, the 1.5°C threshold is likely to be exceeded again soon due to ongoing climate warming. This troubling trend underscores the urgent need for governments to accelerate efforts to reduce CO2 emissions and curb the escalating impacts of climate change.
In related findings, the World Weather Attribution group revealed that human-induced climate change caused a 3°C rise in temperatures during a heatwave in Iceland and Greenland last month. This contributed to significant melting of Greenland’s ice sheet, highlighting how even typically cold regions are now facing unprecedented heat levels.
