May 2025 ranked second-hottest globally, EU data shows

Earth Sees Second-Hottest May Ever (Image: Canva)

The warmth in the air feels harder to ignore. Across continents, even cold places like Greenland aren't escaping the rising heat. May 2025 has now entered the record books.

According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), last month was the second-warmest May since records began. Only May 2024 was hotter, and this follows a near-unbroken chain of record temperatures worldwide.

May's average global temperature was 1.4°C higher than the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average. That figure pushes Earth further into the danger zone agreed upon in the Paris climate pact.

Heat Break May Not Last Long

C3S experts said 21 of the last 22 months crossed the 1.5°C global threshold. This is the warming level countries promised to avoid. But scientists now believe staying under this mark is unlikely.

C3S Director Carlo Buontempo said the slight dip in May’s global temperature may offer temporary relief. However, he warned that this will not reverse ongoing climate trends.

The continued warming is mainly due to rising greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels. Carbon dioxide remains the biggest contributor to human-driven global heating.

Last year was the hottest year ever recorded. So far, 2025 is closely following that path. Spring in the northern hemisphere—March to May—was also the second-warmest ever.

Greenland and Iceland Take the Heat

A separate climate study from the World Weather Attribution group showed more signs of climate disruption. Their scientists found that climate change made last month’s heatwave in Greenland and Iceland 3°C hotter than it would have been.

This intense warming accelerated the melting of Greenland’s ice sheet. Even regions known for extreme cold are now seeing unusual highs.

Sarah Kew, study co-author and climate researcher in the Netherlands, said the temperatures were unprecedented. She warned that cold-climate nations must now also prepare for rapid warming.

C3S temperature records go back to 1940 and are checked against earlier global data from 1850 onwards. Together, these findings show that the world is warming faster than many expected.

While the 1.5°C target refers to long-term averages, temporary monthly spikes are already exceeding it. Scientists now urge faster cuts in emissions to limit extreme weather and long-term warming.

Without urgent global action, they say, this “new normal” of monthly records may become the norm.