In a striking climate anomaly, temperatures at the North Pole surged more than 20°C above the seasonal average, crossing the crucial melting threshold for Arctic ice. Meteorological data from European and U.S. weather agencies indicated that by Saturday, temperatures north of Svalbard, Norway, had risen 18°C above the 1991–2020 average, reaching near 0°C by Sunday. This extreme event, described as being at the upper edge of Arctic warming scenarios, has raised concerns among climate scientists. Mika Rantanen from the Finnish Meteorological Institute noted that while similar warming events have occurred before—such as in February 2018—their increasing frequency is a troubling sign of rapid climate shifts in one of Earth’s most fragile regions.
Scientists from Copernicus Climate Change Service attribute this unusual warming to a deep low-pressure system over Iceland, which directed a strong flow of warm air toward the Arctic. Additionally, warmer-than-normal sea temperatures in the northeast Atlantic further intensified the warming by strengthening wind-driven heat transport to the region. Data confirmed that absolute temperatures above -1°C were recorded as far north as 87°N, with Arctic snow buoys logging 0.5°C readings—an alarming deviation from typical winter conditions. As the Arctic continues to warm at four times the global average, these extreme weather events are expected to become more frequent, accelerating ice loss, rising sea levels, and global climate instability. Read More
News Credit: The Guardian
Picture Credit: Jose Luis Stephens/Alamy