May 2024 was the planet’s second-warmest May on record, narrowly trailing May 2020, according to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). The month capped off the Northern Hemisphere’s second-hottest spring (March-May) ever documented, with global temperatures 1.4°C higher than pre-industrial averages. This follows a relentless streak of extreme heat—21 of the last 22 months have breached the 1.5°C Paris Agreement threshold, though scientists caution this brief dip doesn’t signal a long-term reprieve.
Human-caused climate change was directly linked to a record-shattering heatwave in Greenland and Iceland, making temperatures 3°C hotter than they would have been without fossil fuel emissions, a World Weather Attribution study revealed. The heatwave triggered massive ice melt in Greenland, exacerbating sea-level rise. “Even cold-climate countries aren’t spared from unprecedented warming,” said Sarah Kew, a co-author from the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute.
The 1.5°C global warming limit, central to the Paris Agreement, refers to decades-long averages—not single months—meaning the world hasn’t yet technically breached it. However, many scientists argue the target is now unreachable without drastic action, urging governments to slash CO₂ emissions faster to minimize overshoot and extreme weather impacts. Last year’s status as the hottest on record underscores the urgency.
C3S data, cross-checked with records dating back to 1850, highlights an undeniable warming trend. As heatwaves, ice melt, and erratic weather escalate, experts stress that delaying climate action will only deepen the crisis. The question is no longer whether we’ll surpass 1.5°C, but by how much—and how badly the planet will suffer.