&w=3840&q=100)
May 2025 was world's second-hottest on record, says EU climate agency
Last month was Earth's second-warmest May on record - exceeded only by May 2024 - rounding out the northern hemisphere's second-hottest March-May spring on record, the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said in a monthly bulletin.
Global surface temperatures last month averaged 1.4 degrees Celsius higher than in the 1850-1900 pre-industrial period, when humans began burning fossil fuels on an industrial scale, C3S said.
That broke a run of extraordinary heat, in which 21 of the last 22 months had an average global temperature exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times - although scientists warned this break was unlikely to last.
"Whilst this may offer a brief respite for the planet, we do expect the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold to be exceeded again in the near future due to the continued warming of the climate system," said C3S director Carlo Buontempo.
The main cause of climate change is greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels. Last year was the planet's hottest on record.
A separate study, published by the World Weather Attribution group of climate scientists on Wednesday, found that human-caused climate change made a record-breaking heatwave in Iceland and Greenland last month about 3C hotter than it otherwise would have been - contributing to a huge additional melting of Greenland's ice sheet.
"Even cold-climate countries are experiencing unprecedented temperatures," said Sarah Kew, study co-author and researcher at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute.
The global threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius is the limit of warming which countries vowed under the Paris climate agreement to try to prevent, to avoid the worst consequences of warming.
The world has not yet technically breached that target - which refers to an average global temperature of 1.5 degrees Celsius over decades.
However, some scientists have said it can no longer realistically be met, and have urged governments to cut CO2 emissions faster, to limit the overshoot and the fuelling of extreme weather.
C3S's records go back to 1940, and are cross-checked with global temperature records going back to 1850.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
2023's marine heatwaves signal early irreversible coral damage: Study
Marine heatwaves -- prolonged periods of raised ocean temperatures than what are typical for that time of year -- experienced in 2023 were not only unprecedented, but may have also signalled a potential climate tipping point, with irreversible, negative impacts to coral reefs and ecosystems, according to a new study. Researchers from China and the US found that regions in oceans across the globe, including the North Atlantic, and the tropical, south and north Pacific experienced extreme marine heatwaves -- the longest in duration, widest in extent and highest in intensity on record. The findings, published in the journal Science, show that the most intense warming occurred in the North Atlantic, tropical eastern Pacific, north Pacific, and southwest Pacific, which "collectively accounted for 90 per cent of the global ocean warming". Heatwaves in the North Atlantic which began mid-2022 persisted for 525 days with an intensity four times the typical, making it "the longest recorded marine heatwave in the region", the authors said. The southwest Pacific heat event broke records for its expanse and prolonged duration, while unusual temperatures in the tropical eastern Pacific peaked at 1.63 degrees Celsius during the onset of El Nino, they said. 'El Nino' is the warm phase of the 'El Nino-Southern Oscillation' (ENSO) natural climate pattern, which involves changes in temperatures and atmospheric pressures in the Pacific Ocean. El Nino is linked with warmer ocean temperatures. The authors, including those from the US' Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, said the marine heatwaves of 2023 were "a global event with a 50-year return period, (with a less than two per cent chance of occurrence)". First author Tianyun Dong, a joint postdoctoral researcher at the Eastern Institute of Technology, Ningbo, and Southern University of Science and Technology in China, told PTI in an email, "Global warming, observed over a long-term and primarily driven by greenhouse gas emissions, has raised the ocean's baseline state, making marine heatwaves increasingly frequent and intense." Further, the trends observed also suggest a "possible indication of an approaching climatic tipping point", the study said. A climate tipping point, potentially a 'point of no return', is related with irreversible, disproportionate health and economic consequences for the world's most vulnerable, such as tropical coral reefs, and ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica. "While a full (ocean-climate) system collapse has not occurred, irreversible impacts -- mass coral bleaching in tropical reefs, collapse of key habitats -- are already emerging," Dong said. Coral bleaching in reefs, or the loss of algae in reefs causing a 'whitening' and vulnerability to disease and death, are showing few signs of recovering, while the functional collapse of key habitats in some of the world's regions undermine biodiversity and the role of ecosystems, Dong explained. "These impacts reflect more than a short-term stress, suggesting a shift towards a permanent ecological change. The 2023 marine heatwaves may, therefore, mark a dangerous step closer to tipping points in the ocean-climate system," the first author said. Arpita Mondal, associate professor at the department of civil engineering and centre for climate studies, IIT Bombay, and not involved with the study, told PTI, "Based on a primary reading of the paper, I'm quite convinced of the scientific robustness." Mondal explained that the ocean and atmosphere "talk to each other through processes -- called the 'teleconnections' -- through which far-away processes can influence local weather". "For example, processes in the southern and equatorial Pacific Ocean can influence the Indian monsoon," she said. "Of course, El Nino is the most significant phenomenon which affects not only monsoons in South Asia, but ENSO-neutral conditions -- where neither El Nino nor La Nina dominate -- have been linked with the heat waves in the pre-monsoon season too," Mondal explained. "Similarly, oscillations and circulation of currents in oceans and atmosphere can impact weather worldwide," she added. The study team analysed satellite observations and temperature data of the world's oceans. Data from the NASA-funded 'ECCO2' project, focussed on producing a high-resolution estimate of the state of the world's oceans and sea ice, was also analysed. First author Dong said that despite a relatively weak El Nino -- studies show its growth rate unexpectedly decelerated in mid-2023 -- the unprecedented nature of 2023's marine heatwaves cannot be explained by natural climate variability alone. "A continued warming of the planet -- especially when combined with El Nino -- could produce even more extreme marine heatwaves, pointing toward a potential new normal of amplified ocean heat extremes and a higher chance of crossing physical and ecological tipping points," the first author said. Mondal, who is not involved in the study, pointed to the concerning lack of reliable, long-term ocean data. "My concern is more about the lack of long-term, reliable ocean data globally. We have only been monitoring oceans in the recent years. We do not have say, 150 to 200 years of ocean surface temperatures recorded. However, satellites developed in the last 50 years or so have definitely helped in complementing the buoys which have been in place for monitoring the ocean," she said.


News18
a day ago
- News18
Planning To Study In Germany? Know Top 5 Scholarships For International Students
Last Updated: From DAAD scholarship to Bayer fellowship, discover the top 5 scholarships for international students planning to study at German universities. Germany offers some of the most generous scholarships through government and organisation-funded programmes, greatly increasing the accessibility of higher education for international students. These are the most popular scholarships: Expatrio Scholarship This scholarship is open to international students from any country who plan to start their studies in Germany in the Winter Semester 2025. The first prize is €15,000, the second prize is €12,000, and the third prize is €9,000. Awards for fourth to tenth place include rent payments for six months (up to €3,000), a new laptop, German language lessons, and semester contribution fees. DAAD Scholarships DAAD scholarships are primarily targeted at graduates, doctoral students, and postdocs for study and research visits at universities and non-university research institutions in Germany. These fully-funded scholarships include monthly stipends (€992 for graduates and €1,300 for doctoral/Ph.D. students), travel allowances, health insurance payments, and annual study/research allowances. Heinrich Böll Foundation Scholarships The Heinrich Böll Foundation awards scholarships to approximately 1500 undergraduates, graduates, and doctoral students of all subjects and nationalities annually. Recipients pursue their degrees at universities, universities of applied sciences, or universities of the arts. Non-EU nationals/refugees educated outside Germany receive €992 per month plus health insurance and other allowances. Doctoral students receive €1,400 per month plus additional allowances. Friedrich Ebert Foundation Scholarships FES supports students from public or state-approved universities and polytechnical colleges across all academic subjects and postgraduate programmes. Non-German students can also apply for this scholarship programme, provided they are studying in Germany at the time of application. Monthly stipends include €992 for students and €1,400 for doctoral students, for up to three years. Bayer Foundation Fellowships Open to medical students and those pursuing master's or PhD degrees in scientific disciplines such as Agricultural Science, Medical Sciences, Drug Discovery Sciences, and Climate and Health. Coverage includes up to €10,000 per applicant for international research projects, internships, and other activities up to six months. Additional funding is available for travel, visa, living, and exceptional project costs. view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.


NDTV
a day ago
- NDTV
Want To Study Abroad? Know Some Tuition-Free Medicine Courses In Germany
Study In Germany: Germany is renowned for offering tuition-free education to both domestic and international students. Several German universities offer Master of Science (MSc) programmes - many of which are entirely taught in English - for both winter and summer intakes, typically starting in September and April, respectively. Here is a list of top German universities offering tuition-free Master's programmes in medical and biomedical fields: 1. Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg Otto von Guericke University offers MSc in Biochemical Engineering with no tuition fees. The four-semester program is taught entirely in English, so no prior knowledge of German is required. The course focuses on developing scientific and analytical skills to explore complex biomedical and technical relationships using foundational scientific principles. 2. RWTH Aachen University, Aachen RWTH Aachen provides MSc in Biomedical Engineering, which is completely taught in English, including the internship and master's thesis. This four-semester programme is open to both domestic and international students. Applications for winter 2025 programme are open until October. 3. Hamburg University of Applied Sciences This university offers MSc in Biomedical Engineering, conducted over three semesters and fully taught in English. Applications for the summer intake (April 2026) can be submitted between December 1, 2025, and January 15, 2026 through the official DAAD website. 4. Technische Hochschule Lubeck TH Lubeck offers a four-semester MSc in Biomedical Engineering to students from all educational backgrounds. The programme is primarily in English, with optional elective courses available in German. It's ideal for students aiming for careers in research, academia or industry. While winter applications for non-EU students have closed, updates on next year's summer intake will be available on the university's website soon. 5. Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, Rheinbach This university offers a four-semester MSc in Biomedical Sciences, balancing both theoretical learning and practical experience to prepare students for successful careers in medicine-related fields. These programs are supported by the DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst), or the German Academic Exchange Service, which funds international students, researchers, and academics to study and conduct research in Germany.