Recent global temperature data indicate May 2026 is tracking toward the second-highest anomaly on record, driven by the long-term anthropogenic warming trend and lingering ocean heat from prior El Niño conditions. Early-month readings from Copernicus and NOAA place the global mean surface temperature anomaly near 1.10–1.14 °C above the pre-industrial baseline, consistent with post-peak ENSO moderation that has kept monthly values elevated yet below the 2023–2024 extremes. Developing El Niño signals, with an 82 % chance of emergence by July according to the Climate Prediction Center, add upward pressure but have not yet produced the strongest forcing for this specific month. Historical analogs show Mays following strong El Niño events often rank second or third rather than first. Full-month official rankings from NOAA and Berkeley Earth, due in early June, will resolve the market and could shift if late-May sea-surface temperatures accelerate.