Temperatures near the North Pole are around 20°C (or 36°F) warmer than average right now, reports have said. This is despite the region being in the midst of polar winter, when it is dark for up to 24 hours each day. Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organisation said, “In parts of Arctic Russia, temperatures were 10.8 to 12.6°F (6°C to 7°C) above the long-term average.”
The extent of sea ice, a key indicator of conditions in the Arctic, is also at a record low. The amount of ice in the region is 28.5% below the 1981-2010 average, and the lowest since records began to be maintained in 1979. This is the second consecutive year that temperatures in the region have risen to record-breaking levels. 1979.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration climate science and services manager in Alaska, Rick Thoman, said there has been a “meteoric rise in October temperatures on Alaska’s north slope.” Temperatures have been beating previous highs all over the world since April 2015.
The news came during the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2016 in Marrakesh, which ended on Friday. The news came during the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2016 in Marrakesh, which ended on Friday. While the Paris climate change deal, which came into force earlier this month, limited global warming to “well below 2°C”, the Morocco summit looked more at details regarding the pact. At Marrakesh, more than 45 countries “most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change pledged to pursue robust action towards implementation of the landmark”.
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