Second-warmest May on record for the globe and near-record low Arctic sea ice extent for fifth consecutive month
May Highlights:
- May was the second-warmest on record for the globe.
- The Northern Hemisphere snow cover extent tracked slightly below average for May, driven by lower-than-normal extent in Eurasia.
- Both poles had a top-10 low sea ice extent, with the Arctic recording its second-smallest extent on record for a third consecutive month.
- Only two named storms formed globally, resulting in below-average tropical cyclone activity.
Temperature
May 2026 ranked as the second-warmest May on record, trailing only 2024, with a global surface temperature 1.93°F (1.07°C) above the 20th-century average. Notably, all 10 of the warmest Mays in the 1850–2026 record have occurred since 2016. This month also marked the 50th-consecutive May with a global temperature departure above the 20th-century average; the most recent below-average May occurred in 1976. Globally, ocean temperatures ranked second warmest for the month, while land temperatures came in at fifth warmest.
During May 2026, above-average temperatures spanned most global land and ocean surfaces. Notable temperature departures of at least +3.6°F (+2.0°C) were observed across parts of the Arctic, much of Antarctica, central Canada and the northwest contiguous U.S., western Russia, much of western Asia and parts of the North Pacific Ocean. Record-high May temperatures were mainly present across the central Pacific, southern Atlantic and southern Indian Oceans, alongside localized land areas in Africa and eastern Asia.
Below-average temperatures covered much of Alaska, south-central South America, portions of the Middle East, northwestern Russia, western Australia and eastern Antarctica. Record-cold May temperatures were confined to a small area in the South Pacific Ocean.
Regionally, several continents experienced top-10 warmest Mays on record: Africa had its fourth-warmest, Asia had its fifth-warmest, Europe was ninth-warmest and North America had its 10th-warmest May. While South America, Oceania, Antarctica and the Arctic also experienced above-average May temperatures, they did not rank among their top 10.
Seasonal
Globally, the average surface temperature from March–May 2026 was the third highest in NOAA’s 177-year record. During this three-month period, the Northern Hemisphere experienced its fifth-warmest meteorological spring, while the Southern Hemisphere tied with 2024 for its warmest meteorological autumn.
Year-to-date
Looking at the year-to-date, the January–May global surface temperature was fourth highest on record. According to NCEI’s Global Annual Temperature Outlook, it is very likely that 2026 will rank among the five warmest years on record.
Snow Cover
The Northern Hemisphere’s May 2026 snow cover extent was slightly below average, tracking a 130,000 square miles deficit. This was primarily driven by Eurasia, which sat 150,000 square miles below normal but did not rank among its top-10 lowest extents. Meanwhile, North America and Greenland had a near average May extent. Regional deficits were observed across the U.S. Rocky Mountains, parts of northern Canada, western and southern Alaska, Scandinavia, northern and central Russia and northwestern China. In contrast, above-average extent was confined to eastern Alaska, southern Canada, southern China and eastern Russia.
Sea Ice
Global sea ice extent was the fourth smallest for May in the 48-year record, covering 8.29 million square miles, which is 670,000 square miles below the 1991–2020 average. The global deficit was primarily driven by the Arctic, which had its second-lowest May extent on record for a third consecutive month, falling 310,000 square miles below average. Meanwhile, the Antarctic sea extent was 370,000 square miles below average and the ninth-smallest May extent.
Tropical Cyclones
Global tropical cyclone activity was below average in May, producing just two named storms—both of which formed in the West Pacific basin. Of those two, only one reached typhoon intensity, and neither achieved major status. The stronger system, Typhoon Jangmi, peaked as a Category-1 equivalent storm. While it never made landfall, it still brought heavy rains and strong winds to parts of Japan.
For a more complete summary of climate conditions and events, see our May 2026 Global Climate Report or explore our Climate at a Glance Global Time Series.
