 On 9 May 2016, Hawkins published his climate spiral data visualization graphic, which was widely reported as having gone viral.The climate spiral was widely praised, Jason Samenow writing in "The Washington Post" that the spiral graph was "the most compelling global warming visualization ever made".On 22 May 2018, Hawkins published his warming stripes data visualization graphic, which has been used by meteorologists in Climate Central's annual #MetsUnite campaign to raise public awareness of global warming during broadcasts on the summer solstice.