May 🌎 Climate Anomaly: +1.18°C (🟠 ↑ 0.05°C/yr)

May, 2024 global temperatures were about +1.18°C relative to the base period; May. temperature anomalies were ↑ 0.05°C per year on average over the last 5 years.

Earlier this year, I predicted that 2024 was unlikely to be the hottest year on record.¹ Unfortunately, that prediction was severely wrong so far — temperatures are easily on track to break another record. Jan - May temperature anomalies (i.e. differences between observed and long term averages) are up +1.32°C and +0.30°C over the record breaking same period in 2023. May alone was +1.18°C. Yikes.

1. This was because the Southern Oscillation Index (affectionately known as El Niño and La Niña) was likely to transition from El Niño (warmer water) to La Niña (cooler water) by the end of 2024.