ZME SCIENCE
Freakish heatwave is causing record temperatures in the Arctic and Antarctica
The dramatic heatwave is believed to be a random weather event -- but climate change is making heat waves more common.
The Concordia weather station in Antarctica was -12.2ºC on Saturday, which is cold, but not nearly as cold as it normally is. The about 40ºC above average, while the higher Vostok station had -17.7ºC, beating its all-time record by 15ºC, according to extreme weather record tracker Maximiliano Herrera. At the coastal Terra Nova base, temperatures were above freezing at 7ºC last week — shockingly hot.
The heatwave has shocked scientists, describing it as “impossible” and “unthinkable.” Researcher Stefano Di Battista wrote on Twitter that “Antarctic climatology has been rewritten,” and the Potsdam Institute mentioned “unprecedented” heating. Researchers have so far stopped short of claiming a direct link with climate change, but if it happens repeatedly then it could be bad news for the polar areas.
