UN Weather Agency Confirms New Record High Temperature For Antarctic Continent - Statement

The UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on Thursday confirmed a new maximum temperature record for the Antarctic of 18.3 degrees Celsius (64.9 degrees Fahrenheit).

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st July, 2021) The UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on Thursday confirmed a new maximum temperature record for the Antarctic of 18.3 degrees Celsius (64.9 degrees Fahrenheit).

"The WMO has recognized a new record high temperature for the Antarctic continent of 18.3 Celsius on February 6, 2020, at the Esperanza station (Argentina)," the agency said in a press release.

WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said it was essential to verify the record high temperature for the Antarctic Peninsula, which is among the fastest-warming regions - almost 3 degrees Celsius over the last 50 years.

"This new temperature record is therefore consistent with the climate change we are observing," Taalas said.

The previous record verified by the WMO for the Antarctic continent was 17.5 degrees Celsius (63.5 degrees Fahrenheit) recorded on March 24, 2015, at Esperanza Research Station.

WMO simultaneously rejected the previous record for the Antarctic region of 20.7 degrees Celsius (69.3 degrees Fahrenheit) reported on February 9, 2020, on Seymour Island.

The WMO's Weather and Climate Extremes Archive, which reviewed the weather situation on the Antarctic peninsula at the time of both records, determined downslope winds producing significant surface warming resulted in local warming at both Esperanza Station and Seymour Island.