A graphic shows record heat in the Arctic Circle on Saturday, June 20, 2020.
(Image: Screengrab\@ScottDuncanWX)
Jun 22, 2020
A small Siberian town north of the Arctic Circle reached 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit on Saturday, a figure that--if verified--would be the highest temperature reading in the region since record-keeping began in 1885.
"This scares me, I have to say," environmentalist and 350.org co-founder Bill McKibben tweeted in response to news of the record-breaking reading in Verkhoyansk, where the average high temperature in June is 68degF.
"Siberian town tops 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the hottest temperature ever recorded north of the Arctic Circle. This scares me, I have to say."
--Bill McKibben, 350.org
Washington Post climate reporter Andrew Freedman noted Sunday that if the reading is confirmed, it "would be the northernmost 100-degree reading ever observed, and the highest temperature on record in the Arctic, a region that is warming at more than twice the rate of the rest of the globe."
"On Sunday, the same location recorded a high temperature of 95.3 degrees (35.2 Celsius), showing the Saturday reading was not an anomaly," the newspaper reported. "While some questions remain about the accuracy of the Verkhoyansk temperature measurement, data from a Saturday weather balloon launch at that location supports the 100-degree reading. Temperatures in the lower atmosphere, at about 5,000 feet, also were unusually warm at 70 degrees (21 Celsius), a sign of extreme heat at the surface."
The World Meteorological Organization said Sunday that is "preliminarily accepting the observation as a new extreme" as it conducts a more thorough review of the Verkhoyansk reading.
\u201cSiberian town tops 100 degrees F, the hottest temperature ever recorded north of the Arctic Circle. \nThis scares me, I have to say. \nhttps://t.co/NatjQhuLGn\u201d— Bill McKibben (@Bill McKibben) 1592773257
"100degF about 70 miles north of the Arctic Circle today in Siberia. That's a first in all of recorded history," tweeted meteorologist Eric Holthaus. "We are in a climate emergency."
The reading comes as Siberia is in the midst of a prolonged heatwave that has alarmed climate scientists and activists.
"Been watching the Siberian heatwave for months and it's beyond terrifying--already suffering what was expected in 2100 in a worst case scenario," said climate activist and conservationist Charlie Gardner.
As the Guardian reported last week, "the freak temperatures [in Siberia] have been linked to wildfires, a huge oil spill, and a plague of tree-eating moths."
\u201cTemperatures reached +38\u00b0C within the Arctic Circle on Saturday, 17\u00b0C hotter than normal for 20 June. #GlobalHeating is accelerating, and some parts of the world are heating a lot faster than others. \n\nThe #RaceToZero emissions is a race for survival. \n\nDataviz via @ScottDuncanWX\u201d— UN Climate Change (@UN Climate Change) 1592806707
"Russian towns in the Arctic Circle have recorded extraordinary temperatures, with Nizhnyaya Pesha hitting 30degC on 9 June and Khatanga, which usually has daytime temperatures of around 0degC at this time of year, hitting 25degC on 22 May. The previous record was 12degC."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. The final deadline for our crucial Summer Campaign fundraising drive is just days away, and we’re falling short of our must-hit goal. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
arcticbill mckibbenclimate emergencyclimate scientistsenvironmentextreme heatglobal temperaturesheatwaveoil spillwildfiresworld meteorological organizationtemperature records
A small Siberian town north of the Arctic Circle reached 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit on Saturday, a figure that--if verified--would be the highest temperature reading in the region since record-keeping began in 1885.
"This scares me, I have to say," environmentalist and 350.org co-founder Bill McKibben tweeted in response to news of the record-breaking reading in Verkhoyansk, where the average high temperature in June is 68degF.
"Siberian town tops 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the hottest temperature ever recorded north of the Arctic Circle. This scares me, I have to say."
--Bill McKibben, 350.org
Washington Post climate reporter Andrew Freedman noted Sunday that if the reading is confirmed, it "would be the northernmost 100-degree reading ever observed, and the highest temperature on record in the Arctic, a region that is warming at more than twice the rate of the rest of the globe."
"On Sunday, the same location recorded a high temperature of 95.3 degrees (35.2 Celsius), showing the Saturday reading was not an anomaly," the newspaper reported. "While some questions remain about the accuracy of the Verkhoyansk temperature measurement, data from a Saturday weather balloon launch at that location supports the 100-degree reading. Temperatures in the lower atmosphere, at about 5,000 feet, also were unusually warm at 70 degrees (21 Celsius), a sign of extreme heat at the surface."
The World Meteorological Organization said Sunday that is "preliminarily accepting the observation as a new extreme" as it conducts a more thorough review of the Verkhoyansk reading.
\u201cSiberian town tops 100 degrees F, the hottest temperature ever recorded north of the Arctic Circle. \nThis scares me, I have to say. \nhttps://t.co/NatjQhuLGn\u201d— Bill McKibben (@Bill McKibben) 1592773257
"100degF about 70 miles north of the Arctic Circle today in Siberia. That's a first in all of recorded history," tweeted meteorologist Eric Holthaus. "We are in a climate emergency."
The reading comes as Siberia is in the midst of a prolonged heatwave that has alarmed climate scientists and activists.
"Been watching the Siberian heatwave for months and it's beyond terrifying--already suffering what was expected in 2100 in a worst case scenario," said climate activist and conservationist Charlie Gardner.
As the Guardian reported last week, "the freak temperatures [in Siberia] have been linked to wildfires, a huge oil spill, and a plague of tree-eating moths."
\u201cTemperatures reached +38\u00b0C within the Arctic Circle on Saturday, 17\u00b0C hotter than normal for 20 June. #GlobalHeating is accelerating, and some parts of the world are heating a lot faster than others. \n\nThe #RaceToZero emissions is a race for survival. \n\nDataviz via @ScottDuncanWX\u201d— UN Climate Change (@UN Climate Change) 1592806707
"Russian towns in the Arctic Circle have recorded extraordinary temperatures, with Nizhnyaya Pesha hitting 30degC on 9 June and Khatanga, which usually has daytime temperatures of around 0degC at this time of year, hitting 25degC on 22 May. The previous record was 12degC."
A small Siberian town north of the Arctic Circle reached 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit on Saturday, a figure that--if verified--would be the highest temperature reading in the region since record-keeping began in 1885.
"This scares me, I have to say," environmentalist and 350.org co-founder Bill McKibben tweeted in response to news of the record-breaking reading in Verkhoyansk, where the average high temperature in June is 68degF.
"Siberian town tops 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the hottest temperature ever recorded north of the Arctic Circle. This scares me, I have to say."
--Bill McKibben, 350.org
Washington Post climate reporter Andrew Freedman noted Sunday that if the reading is confirmed, it "would be the northernmost 100-degree reading ever observed, and the highest temperature on record in the Arctic, a region that is warming at more than twice the rate of the rest of the globe."
"On Sunday, the same location recorded a high temperature of 95.3 degrees (35.2 Celsius), showing the Saturday reading was not an anomaly," the newspaper reported. "While some questions remain about the accuracy of the Verkhoyansk temperature measurement, data from a Saturday weather balloon launch at that location supports the 100-degree reading. Temperatures in the lower atmosphere, at about 5,000 feet, also were unusually warm at 70 degrees (21 Celsius), a sign of extreme heat at the surface."
The World Meteorological Organization said Sunday that is "preliminarily accepting the observation as a new extreme" as it conducts a more thorough review of the Verkhoyansk reading.
\u201cSiberian town tops 100 degrees F, the hottest temperature ever recorded north of the Arctic Circle. \nThis scares me, I have to say. \nhttps://t.co/NatjQhuLGn\u201d— Bill McKibben (@Bill McKibben) 1592773257
"100degF about 70 miles north of the Arctic Circle today in Siberia. That's a first in all of recorded history," tweeted meteorologist Eric Holthaus. "We are in a climate emergency."
The reading comes as Siberia is in the midst of a prolonged heatwave that has alarmed climate scientists and activists.
"Been watching the Siberian heatwave for months and it's beyond terrifying--already suffering what was expected in 2100 in a worst case scenario," said climate activist and conservationist Charlie Gardner.
As the Guardian reported last week, "the freak temperatures [in Siberia] have been linked to wildfires, a huge oil spill, and a plague of tree-eating moths."
\u201cTemperatures reached +38\u00b0C within the Arctic Circle on Saturday, 17\u00b0C hotter than normal for 20 June. #GlobalHeating is accelerating, and some parts of the world are heating a lot faster than others. \n\nThe #RaceToZero emissions is a race for survival. \n\nDataviz via @ScottDuncanWX\u201d— UN Climate Change (@UN Climate Change) 1592806707
"Russian towns in the Arctic Circle have recorded extraordinary temperatures, with Nizhnyaya Pesha hitting 30degC on 9 June and Khatanga, which usually has daytime temperatures of around 0degC at this time of year, hitting 25degC on 22 May. The previous record was 12degC."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.