Antarctica is experiencing an unusual warming in the midst of winter, possibly due to a rare phenomenon known as stratospheric warming, which has affected the region’s atmosphere.
Although temperatures remain below zero, the eastern parts of the continent have recorded a temperature rise of 28 degrees Celsius above the normal average for July.
Polar climate analyst Stefano Di Battista reported that the average temperature at Russia’s Vostok research station was -60.4 degrees Celsius, which is more than 6 degrees Celsius higher than the average from 1958 to 2023.
Italian meteorologist Giulio Betti explained that the warm temperatures in the heart of the continent contrast with the unusually cold conditions in coastal areas. These conditions resulted from an unusual atmospheric phenomenon in the region.
Betti confirmed that “for several days, temperatures in Antarctica have been unusually high, but this time it is not related to climate change.” He clarified that the reason is the rare stratospheric warming that weakened the polar vortex, contributing to strong atmospheric pressure.
Between July 20 and 30, the average temperature at a southern polar research station was -47.6 degrees Celsius, which is considered typical weather for the end of summer in the region.
Di Battista pointed out that “the heatwave on the Antarctic Plateau is exceptional more in terms of its duration rather than its intensity, although some values are noteworthy.”
This warm weather comes after two years of a record heatwave on the continent, which led to a massive ice collapse the size of Hong Kong. It also coincides with a global heatwave during which record temperatures were recorded twice.
Zeke Hausfather, a research scientist at Berkeley University, explained that the rising temperatures in Antarctica have significantly impacted those global numbers.
“Temperatures in the continent have risen in general along with the world over the past 50 years, so any heatwave starts from this higher baseline,” he added. “It is safe to say that the vast majority of the increase last month was driven by this heatwave.”
