May 2020 ties for warmest on record globally
NOAA: A 99.9% chance 2020 will finish in top 5 warmest years on record globally
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Earth’s temperature hits just keep on comin’.
NOAA reports Friday that May 2020 ties May 2016 as the warmest May on record globally.
The average global temperature in May was 1.71 degrees F (0.95 of a degree C) above the 20th-century average, tying with May 2016 as the hottest May on record. For the Northern Hemisphere, it was the hottest May recorded, with a temperature of 2.14 degrees F (1.19 degrees C) above average.
The three-month season of March through May was the second warmest such period on record globally. The global surface temperature record dates back to 1880.
Here are some data points that provide perspective on the significance of the May 2020 numbers.
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The global average temperature for May 2020 was 1.7 degrees F (1 degree C) above the 20th-century average.
The past seven Mays are the seven warmest on record globally.
Minnesota runs cool again
It is interesting to note that again we find one of the few cool patches on the May global temperature map includes Minnesota. The average temperature for May 2020 was 0.4 degrees cooler than average in the Twin Cities.
2020: Second warmest year on record so far
The May global temperature numbers place 2020 as the second warmest year on record to date.
The period from January through May (YTD) was also the 2nd hottest on record after 2016, with a global temperature of 1.98 degrees F (1.10 degrees C) above the 20th-century average of 55.5 degrees F (13.1 degrees C).
With five months of 2020 in the books, NOAA calculates a 99.9 percent chance 2020 will finish in the warmest five years on record globally.
7th straight year
If 2020 finishes in the top five warmest years on record globally as projected, that means the seven warmest years on record globally are the past seven years. 2019 was the second warmest year on record globally. You can see the unprecedented string of global warmth below.
It is increasingly clear with each passing year to climate observers that the climate change signal is kicking into high gear. The odds of this unprecedented string of global warmth being a natural climate occurrence is millions to one.
There is a much higher chance of winning the lottery, or of being struck by lightning.