The Earth saw its hottest May on record last month, and it was one of the hottest months on the books.
May became the 13th consecutive month to break surface temperature records, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said Thursday.
{mosads}May’s average temperature worldwide was 53.57 degrees Fahrenheit, which was 1.57 degrees above the 20th century average for the month, the agency’s benchmark.
The previous record for May was last year. 2016 beat it by 0.04 degrees, NOAA said. It was the smallest departure from a previous record since August, something the agency attributed to El Niño — and its accompanying warmth — slowing down.
The average temperature globally was 57.44 degrees, which was also a new record. It beat the previous record by 0.43 degrees. Records go back to 1880.