May 2026 went down in history as the second-hottest May globally, based on figures released by the Copernicus Climate Change Service of the European Union.

It indicated that temperatures averaged 1.42 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial period average, to be the second-hottest May in their records, following the May of 2024.

Copernicus indicated that temperatures stayed higher than average for many regions globally. Ocean surface temperatures away from the polar region were the highest for any May ever recorded.

The month of May is Europe’s seventh warmest on record, while the spring season consisting of March to May ranks third among all springs recorded on the continent. For Western Europe, there were above-normal temperatures during the later weeks of the month, with a springtime heat wave occurring in certain regions.

The figures were gathered using the ERA5 reanalysis dataset, incorporating data from satellites, ships, aircraft, and weather stations.

Copernicus added that unusually high water temperatures were recorded for certain parts of the world's oceans during May. High oceanic temperatures may influence weather and marine life.

The latest statistics came after months of breaking global temperature records. According to Copernicus data, several months in 2023 have been the warmest recorded.

These monthly climate updates provided by the agency are used by governments, scientists, and international organizations for tracking changes in temperatures, precipitation, sea ice, and other climate indicators.

Copernicus Climate Change Service is run by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts on behalf of the European Union.

The new information about temperatures was announced before further discussions regarding climate change policies took place.