Global heating continues as May 2025 becomes second warmest on record

Global heating showed no signs of slowing down last month, with May 2025 ranking as the second warmest May on record for both land and ocean temperatures, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.

The planet’s average surface temperature in May was 1.4°C above preindustrial levels, just shy of the record set in May 2024. Similarly, global sea surface temperatures hit 20.79°C—also the second highest on record for the month—with the northeast North Atlantic and most of the Mediterranean Sea experiencing unprecedented marine heatwaves.

“Ongoing marine heatwaves are disrupting marine ecosystems, driving species migration, and reducing nutrient distribution in ocean waters,” Copernicus reported.

The dire state of the oceans is a central focus of the UN Ocean Conference currently underway in Nice, France.

Oceans, which cover 70% of Earth’s surface, play a critical role in regulating the planet’s climate. Rising ocean temperatures are linked to more frequent and intense storms, worsening floods, and increasingly destructive weather patterns.

Meanwhile, large parts of Europe recorded their lowest levels of rainfall and soil moisture since at least 1979, with Britain, Denmark, and the Netherlands facing severe drought conditions.

While May 2025 interrupted a streak of record-breaking months above the 1.5°C threshold, climate scientists warn that this reprieve is temporary. Over the past 12 months, global warming has averaged 1.57°C above preindustrial levels.

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The 2015 Paris Agreement set a goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C, measured over a 20-year average to account for short-term fluctuations.

While that long-term threshold has not yet been crossed, the UN’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO) estimates a 70% chance that the five-year period from 2025 to 2029 will breach that limit.

Scientists emphasize that every fraction of a degree matters, as additional warming significantly increases the risk of extreme weather, rising sea levels, and irreversible damage to ecosystems worldwide.