According to Copernicus, extreme weather events are becoming a permanent occurrence.

Extreme weather events are no longer exceptional occurrences but are becoming a recurring reality. This is the worrying conclusion reached by the European Copernicus Climate Observatory in its latest report published Wednesday. According to data collected by the organization, May 2026 was the second warmest May ever recorded globally, just behind the all-time record set in 2024. This new warning comes as many regions of the world, and particularly Europe, have already experienced exceptionally high temperatures for this time of year in recent weeks.

For Samantha Burgess, a climatologist with the Copernicus program, the early heat waves observed this spring illustrate how quickly extreme weather events are becoming part of people's daily lives. According to her, what was once considered rare is gradually becoming the new normal. This development is part of a broader trend marked by accelerated warming of the European continent, now considered one of the fastest-rising regions in the world.

Europe particularly affected by record heat

During the month of May, several European countries recorded unprecedented temperatures for this time of year. France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Portugal faced particularly difficult weather conditions, with local heat records, periods of drought, and increasing pressure on water resources. According to Copernicus, these phenomena are now occurring earlier in the season and with greater intensity than those observed just a few decades ago.

The observatory also emphasizes that these events can no longer be analyzed as isolated anomalies. They are part of a long-term trend fueled by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The increasing frequency of heat waves, prolonged droughts, and extreme rainfall events now constitutes one of the main challenges to which European societies will have to adapt in the coming years.

The return of El Niño could exacerbate the disruptions.

Globally, scientists are also observing a worrying trend in the Pacific Ocean. Surface temperatures there are currently reaching exceptionally high levels, favoring the gradual development of a new El Niño event. This natural climate phenomenon strongly influences temperatures and weather patterns across the planet.

According to the World Meteorological Organization, the probability of El Niño establishing itself permanently in the coming months has now reached 80%. Historically, these episodes are often accompanied by severe droughts in certain regions of the world, particularly in Southeast Asia and Australia, while other areas, such as parts of South America, can experience torrential rains and major flooding.

Increasing pressure on ecosystems and populations

The report notes that the average global temperature observed in May 2026 exceeded pre-industrial levels by 1,42°C. While this threshold remains slightly below recent records, it confirms the continuation of a warming trajectory that is worrying climatologists. The consequences are already visible through the intensification of extreme weather events, the pressure exerted on ecosystems, the risks to agriculture, and the health impacts linked to high temperatures.

In light of these findings, Copernicus emphasizes the need to accelerate policies for adaptation and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. For scientists, the record levels observed in recent years are no longer exceptions but signs of a profound transformation of the global climate that will continue to have a lasting impact on populations and economies in the decades to come.