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:

NOAA
More Must-Reads From TIME
- How an Alleged Spy Balloon Derailed an Important U.S.-China Meeting
- Effective Altruism Has a Toxic Culture of Sexual Harassment and Abuse, Women Say
- Inside Bolsonaro's Surreal New Life as a Florida Man—and MAGA Darling
- 'Return to Office' Plans Spell Trouble for Working Moms
- 8 Ways to Read More Books—and Why You Should
- Why Aren't Movies Sexy Anymore?
- Column: Elon Musk Should Not Be in Charge of the Night Sky
- How Logan Paul's Crypto Empire Fell Apart
- 80 for Brady May Not Be a Masterpiece. But the World Needs More Movies Like This