It was another warm month for the globe, with May 2023 ranking as the world’s third-warmest May on record.
It was another warm month for the globe, with May 2023 ranking as the world’s third-warmest May on record.
Earth’s ocean surface temperatures also set a record high for the second month in a row, according to scientists from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information.
Climate by the Numbers
May 2023
The average global May temperature was 1.75 degrees F (0.97 of a degree C) above the 20th-century average of 58.6 degrees F (14.8 degrees C), ranking as the third-warmest May in 174 years. May 2023 marked the 47th consecutive May and the 531st consecutive month with temperatures above the 20th-century average.
Looking at continents, both North America and South America had their warmest Mays on record, while Africa, Asia and Europe each had their top-20 warmest Mays. Antarctica had a cooler-than-average May.
Read more at NOAA
Image: A large cluster of wildfires burns in Alberta, Canada, as seen from NOAA’s GOES-18 satellite on May 5, 2023. May 2023 was North America’s warmest May in NOAA’s 174-year climate record. (Image credit: NOAA)
