EU climate agency says last month was hottest May, capping 12 straight months of temperature records

BRUSSELS (AP) - The European Union's climate service says last month marked the hottest May ever, capping 12 straight months of average monthly temperature records amid high and rising concerns about global warming.

The EU's Copernicus climate change service, a global reference for tracking world temperatures, cited an average surface air temperature of 15.9 C (60.6 F) last month - or 1.52 C higher than the estimated May average before industrial times.

The latest Copernicus report, which falls on World Environment Day on Wednesday, was highlighted in a major speech by U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres to ratchet up his longtime concerns about climate change.