ISTANBUL
Last month was the warmest May in the last 51 years in Turkey, according to the country's meteorology department.
The average May temperature in Turkey rose 2.6 degrees Celsius (4.7 degrees Fahrenheit), according to the Turkish State Meteorological Service data, compiled by Anadolu Agency.
With the latest temperature measurements climbing to 19.3 C (66.7 F), last month was the hottest May in the last 51 years.
Before this, the highest average temperature in Turkey since 1971 was recorded in May 2007.
Carbon emissions from fossil fuel use is the main reason behind the increase global temperatures, said Levent Kurnaz of the Center for Climate Change and Policy Studies at Istanbul's Bogazici University.
"This causes the atmosphere to warm up," he said, explaining how 2020 was the warmest year on record.
He said the world's average temperature was generally high during the years of El Nino, a phenomenon that affects air and ocean circulation in the Pacific Ocean.
"If El Nino occurs in 2022 or 2023, then Turkey's average temperature will rise accordingly, because all parts of the world will warm more than average," Kurnaz added.
