May recorded as second-warmest month as fires surge and sea ice shrinks

The NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, NASA and the European Copernicus Climate Change Service reported that May was the second-warmest month on record worldwide, with burned area reaching a 15-year peak and Arctic sea-ice extent falling to near-record lows. Their analysis placed global average temperature for the month just below the all-time high, highlighting the continuation of long-term warming. Burned area across continents expanded to more than 150 million hectares, the largest extent in fifteen years.

Arctic sea-ice extent contracted to its second-lowest May value, while Antarctic ice also approached near-record lows. Yale Climate Connections noted the link between the temperature rise, intensified fire activity and the shrinking polar ice.