May 2024 sets several new records for global warmth
NOAA has released their global surface temperature for May 2024. To no surprise, last month ended up being the warmest May on record globally for land/ocean surface combined. May 2024 ended up averaging 1.18 degree Celsius (2.12 degrees Fahrenheit) above the 20th century average. This was also the 48th consecutive May that was above normal.
May 2024 also set new record May highs for the Northern Hemisphere and the world's oceans. A weakening El Niño certainly played a role, but the primary driver once again was global warming.
Warmest March-May on record
The three-month period (March-May) that marks the Northern Hemisphere's spring and the Southern Hemisphere's autumn was also the warmest on record for global land/ocean surface combined, according to NOAA.
2024 still on pace to be the warmest year on record
So far, the January to May period is still running in first place for warmest on record. If La Niña (slight cooling influence on the global temperature average) is able to come on more quickly and strongly during the second half of this year, there is a chance that this year ends up in second or third place for warmest on record, but right now, odds still favor this year being the warmest.
