The Coldest Region Witnessed Most Intense Heat Wave Ever Recorded

According to a recent study published in peer-reviewed journal Geophysical Research Letters, Antartica witnessed the most intense heat wave in 2022.

The eastern coast of Antarctica, as per the study, spiked at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit (39 degrees Celsius) temperature above the usual in March 2022.

Generally in March, temperatures on the east coast shows minus-54 degrees Celsius. But, in the last year, daily mean temperatures rose to minus-15 degrees Celsius in the heat wave and hourly temperature recorded minus-10 degrees Celsius.

The author of the study, Edward Blanchard-Wrigglesworth, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Washington told The Washington Post that “it was a remarkable event.” “We found that temperature anomaly, the 39-degree temperature anomaly, that’s the largest anywhere ever measured anywhere in the world,” he added.

The scientists probed what might be the reason behind the heatwaves especially when there was sparse sunlight. The team then found that Antarctica”s natural variability is the major reason behind the extreme heat, and added that climate crisis did have some effect.

Meteorologist Jonathan Wille, who was not part of the study, told The Washington Post that he was not surprised with this Antartic heat wave and its record in temperature variation because Antartic Plateau has some of the highest temperature variability. “It’s possible that climate change influenced the atmospheric dynamics like the tropical convection anomalies that led to the heat wave, but this is very difficult to quantify these things,” he said.

By the end of the century, the research team predicts that heat wave would go warmer to an additional 5 to 6 degrees Celsius.

Furthermore, Mr. Blanchard-Wrigglesworth said more heat waves like this could posit the adverse effects that on the ice sheet. “If you add another five or six degrees on top of that, you’re starting to get close to the melting point,” he said.