According to measurements from an Argentinian research station thermometer, the always icy Antarctica just reached its hottest temperature at nearly 64.9 degrees Fahrenheit, around 18.3 degrees Celsius, as climate change continues to accelerate.
The reading was taken Thursday at the Esperanza Base, a permanent, all-year Argentine research station on the Trinity Peninsula, Antarctica.
That time, the reading beat the continent’s prior record of 63.5 degrees, which took place in March 2015, shortly after the Earth underwent its hottest January on record and hottest decade in the 2010s.
Scientists see no end to the way climate change continues to shatter temperature records across the globe, including in Antarctica, one of the world’s fastest-warming regions.
The WMO (World Meteorological Organization) still needs to verify the new record-breaking temperature in Antarctica, where a committee will confirm the new Esperanza record.
“Everything we’ve witnessed so far signals a likely legitimate record, but we will surely begin a formal evaluation of record once we have complete data from SMN and on the meteorological conditions surrounding the occurrence,” said Randall Cerveny, Weather and Climate Extremes rapporteur at the WMO.
Research reveals that glaciers in Antarctica are rapidly melting as the planet warms, releasing enough water to raise global sea levels.
According to the WMO, the amount of ice that vanished yearly from the Antarctic ice sheet elevated at least sixfold between 1979 and 2017.
Approximately 87% of glaciers along the Antarctic Peninsula’s west coast have retreated over the last half-century, with most indicating an accelerated retreat in the previous 12 years.
According to meteorology experts, the peninsula will likely see further severe warmth in the coming days.