The highest temperature ever recorded in the Arctic has been officially confirmed by the United Nations (UN) World Meteorological Organization, sounding the alarm bells for climate change.
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The temperature of 38 degrees Celsius, which was recorded in the city of Verkhoyansk in Siberia in June 2021, was measured at the peak of an extensive heat wave. In fact, temperatures across the region that summer were on average 10 degrees above normal.
"This new record in the Arctic is just one of a series of observations reported in the UN Archive of Weather and Climate Extremes, which are sounding the alarm about our changing climate," said Petteri Taalas, UN Secretary-General.
The UN said the extreme heat was “more suited to the Mediterranean than the Arctic” and that the heatwave was a key factor in “fuelling devastating wildfires, leading to massive sea ice loss and playing a significant role in making 2020 one of the three warmest years on record.”
According to data from the Russian Forest Service, the fires in Siberia were the worst since they started this year, destroying an area of over 46 million acres (18.6 million hectares) of Russian forest only in 2021. The smoke from the massive flames traveled as far as the North Pole.
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Verkhoyansk is located about 71 miles (115 kilometers) north of the Arctic Circle and its weather station has been recording temperatures since 1885. The unprecedented record forced the organization to create a new category for monitoring extreme weather conditions solely for the Arctic Circle.
The Arctic is warming at a rate more than twice the global average, causing some extreme changes in its climate. These include record numbers of “zombie fires” caused by burning carbon-rich peat, the breakup of some of the Arctic’s thickest ice, and the thawing of permafrost, which could release radioactive waste and awaken dormant viruses, Live Science previously reported.
Scientists have even warned that high temperatures in the Arctic could lead to the polar bear's demise by the end of this century. The rising temperatures are also seeing a surge in the numbers of a grizzly-polar bear hybrid called the "pizzly" bear.
According to the UN, "it is indeed possible that greater extremes will occur in the Arctic region in the future."
See also: Antarctica: New high temperature record of 18.3 degrees Celsius
The Arctic is not the only part of the world that has experienced record temperatures. This year, Syracuse, Italy recorded a temperature of 48.8 degrees, the highest recorded temperature in European history, Live Science reported.
California's Death Valley also saw record temperatures this summer, when the mercury hit 54.4 degrees Celsius, Live Science reported.
