Last month was the hottest May on record, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Monday. The previous record for May was set in 2010.
In its monthly climate report, the NOAA said that the combined average ocean surface and land temperatures were 1.33 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th century average of 58.6 degrees, The Huffington Post says. Certain regions were hit with warmer than average temperatures, including parts of Kazakhstan, Indonesia, and Australia.
Scientists think that the higher temperatures point towards an impending El Niño, which could bring heavy rainfalls to some areas and crippling droughts to others. The Climate Prediction Center says that there is a 70 percent chance an El Niño will strike this summer, and an 80 percent chance it will hit by fall.
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