Last week a new highest temperature record was set for the continent of Antarctica. Measured at the Argentine station Esperanza, situated on the Antarctic peninsula, the mercury hit 65°F. But now an even higher temperature has been measured on Seymour Island.
The even warmer event was recorded on Seymour Island on February 9th, 2020 where the thermometers rose to 69.35°F (+20.75°C). The maximum temperature was recorded by scientists with the Brazillian government-funded Terrantar project. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has not yet confirmed this measurement, although this reading comes just a few days after the highest recorded continental temperature, during a “heatwave” over the peninsula.
Absolute record highest temperature for the Antarctic region (defined as all land and ice south of 60 degrees latitude) was 67.64°F (19.8°C), recorded on the Signy Island in January 1982. But that station is not an actual part of the main Antarctic continent, reports severe-weather.eu.
The continent’s average temperature has risen 0.5ºF each decade since 1957, and the rate of ice loss from five Antarctic glaciers has doubled in the past six years and is five times faster than in the 1990s, according to recent research.
