This year has been one of weather anomalies. Not only did the the polar vortex provide for some cities’ coldest winters in a decade, but according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this May was the world’s hottest on record.
The combined average temperature of global land and ocean surfaces was 58.6°F. While that might not seem too hot, the dry temperature had repercussions in the United States at least. The NOAA reports 37.5% of the United States was in drought. Not only did the conditions deteriorate across Kansas and Oklahoma, but the dry conditions in the Southern Plans and the West helped fuel various wildfires.
Here’s a map of noteworthy May climate anomalies around the world:
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Introducing the 2024 TIME100 Next
- The Reinvention of J.D. Vance
- How to Survive Election Season Without Losing Your Mind
- Welcome to the Golden Age of Scams
- Did the Pandemic Break Our Brains?
- The Many Lives of Jack Antonoff
- 33 True Crime Documentaries That Shaped the Genre
- Why Gut Health Issues Are More Common in Women
Contact us at letters@time.com