Greenland has recorded its hottest May temperatures since records began, as the mercury hit 24.8°C (76.6°F) on the southern coast. Weather records researcher Maximiliano Herrera confirmed that the temperature recorded in Narsarsuaq on Tuesday, May 29, was substantially hotter than May 31, 1991, which saw a previous high of 22.4°C (72.3°F).
As well as making a new May record, last month’s high was just 0.7°C (1.3°F) below the hottest temperature ever recorded in the country on July 26, 1990. The Danish Meteorological Institute said a combination of local winds and an intense ridge of high pressure caused the extraordinary May heat wave, which also spread into Britain.
The unusual weather correlates with predictions from the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) that there is a 50-60 percent chance that southern Greenland will see above average temperatures this summer.