Arctic Circle land temperature reaches 48C during ‘persistent heatwave’ in Siberia
The European Union’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service said land surface temperature “widely exceeded” 35C across the Russian region on the first day of summer.
Scientists found the heatwave experienced by the far northeastern region last year would have “effectively impossible” without the man-made climate crisis.
Saskylakh, an Arctic town, recorded 31.9C on 20 June, according to the EU’s Copernicus programme, who said it was the small community’s hottest temperature since 1936 before the summer solstice.
The EU programme’s satellelites found land surface temperatures - different from air temperatures - widely surpassed 35C across Siberia on 20 June, with peaks at 48°C near the town of Verkhojansk, 43°C in Govorovo and 37°C in Saskylah.
Last month, scientists called the heatwave gripping the Arctic “mindboggling” as temperature records in Siberia were once again broken.
