Extreme weather struck multiple regions around the world this past week. May temperature records were broken in Honduras and the western United States, while Indonesia experienced its hottest nights on record. In contrast, a severe hailstorm with stones as large as eggs hit eastern China, and Siberia received up to 31 cm of snow.
Honduras has been repeatedly setting May heat records. On May 13, the city of Choluteca—the hottest location in Central America—reached 42.2°C, surpassing the previous record of 42.1°C. The intense heat is expected to continue in the coming weeks.
In the United States, on May 15, the Furnace Creek area of Death Valley recorded a temperature of 46.7°C—the highest in the country this year and notably high for mid-May. Nearby monitoring stations also recorded 46°C, indicating widespread heat.
Indonesia, despite being in its cool season, also recorded record temperatures. On May 15, Manokwari reached 35.8°C during the day. Notably, nighttime temperatures in Bali’s airport did not drop below 27.9°C for three consecutive nights, setting a local record. In East Timor, temperatures did not fall below 26.4°C, breaking the previous May record.
A heatwave also swept across northern China and Mongolia, with 10 weather stations recording temperatures equal to or above May records. Temperatures remained at 35–40°C and were forecast to last into the weekend.
Meanwhile, in China, extreme weather took a completely different form. On May 11, the city of Rizhao in Shandong province was hit by a severe storm with hailstones larger than eggs.
On the same day, northern Siberia, Russia saw heavy snowfall. There, 39 mm of precipitation fell in 12 hours, creating a snow layer up to 31 cm deep—a stark contrast to the record heat in other continents.
