Copernicus, the component of the “European Union Space Programme” dedicated to Earth and its climate, has released a report today confirming that May was the second-warmest on record, surpassed only by May 2024.

The report states that these unusually early and intense heat waves show how quickly extreme climate conditions are becoming the norm rather than the exception.

Several monthly records were set in May on the continent, resulting in “extremely difficult” situations in France, Britain, Ireland and Portugal.

Although notable, this phenomenon is part of the rapid increase in temperatures in Europe and the long-term trend towards more frequent, more intense and earlier heat waves.