Last month was the hottest May in modern history, marking the 13th consecutive month that global heat records have been shattered, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday.

"The globally averaged temperature over land and ocean surfaces for May 2016 was the highest for the month of May in the NOAA global temperature dataset record, which dates back to 1880," the agency said in a statement, adding that the temperature was 1.57 degrees Fahrenheit (0.8 Celsius) above the 20th-century average of 58.6 degrees Fahrenheit (14.7 Celsius).