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May global temp hits all-time high

Last month was so hot it set a new record for the planet, marking the warmest May over land and water since record-keeping began in 1880, US authorities say.

The combined average temperature over global land and ocean surfaces was 0.74C above the 20th century average of 14.8C, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said on Monday.

The previous record for May was set in 2010.

The global land surface temperature was 1.13C above the 20th century average of 11.1C or the fourth highest for May on record.

For the ocean, the May global sea surface temperature was 0.59C above the 20th century average of 16.3C, making it the record highest for May and tying with June 1998, October 2003, and July 2009 as the highest departure from average for any month on record.

“The majority of the world experienced warmer-than-average monthly temperatures, with record warmth across eastern Kazakhstan, parts of Indonesia, and central and northwestern Australia,” NOAA said.

The findings are part of an ongoing trend of rising global warmth.

Each and every May over the past 39 years has been hotter than the 20th century average, according to NOAA.

April was also historically hot across the globe, and tied with 2010 for the highest average temperature since 1880, NOAA said.

The last time global May temperatures fell below the 20th century average was in 1976, the agency said.

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