Arctic Temperature Alarm

Air temperature in the Arctic was -19.25°C on 2023-03-23. This is 0.15°C higher than 90th percentile of climatology period... READ MORE

Arctic Temperature Alarm

Air temperature in the Arctic was -19.28°C on 2023-03-22. This is 0.27°C higher than 90th percentile of climatology period... READ MORE

It’s now or never – IPCC 6th Assessment Report released today

Today the final synthesis of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s 6th Assessment Report cycle was released. This synthesis report restates that it is "now or never" to act, and that we are well on... READ MORE

Arctic sea ice maximum extent likely 5th lowest on record

Arctic sea ice has likely reached its maximum extent for the year, at 14.62 million square kilometres (5.64 million square miles) on March 6, according to scientists at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) at... READ MORE

Record-breaking cyclone brings further decimation to world’s #1 climate vulnerable country

Tropical cyclone Freddy is set to make more international records--including possibly one for the longest-lasting storm, later this... READ MORE

COUNTDOWN

CO2 Budget Depletion

07 Mar 2023 | United Kingdom

Yellow weather warnings throughout the UK

The climate crisis is usually associated with overall planetary warming, but in some areas climate disruption brings abnormal colds. If you’re in the UK, there’s a good chance you’ve been pulling out that winter coat and possibly shovelling a bit of snow!

The coldest temperature in the UK this year was -10.4°C in Drumnadrochit (on the western shore of Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands) on January 19. That number, however, is expected to be obliterated as temperatures may hit -15°C tonight. This is about six degrees colder than last March, when the mercury bottomed out at -9.1°C in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire.

Maybe you remember Anticyclone Hartmut in 2018, more familiarly known as the “Beast from the East”? Although the Beast from the East event was the confluence of storms, the initial event was the same type of polar disruption currently over the UK. Normally centred over the poles when strong, polar vortices are large counter-clockwise flows of low pressure. This vortex can be weakened by events such as sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs), during which the temperature in the stratosphere can warm up to 50°C after the slowing and/or reversal of winds in the stratospheric polar vortex. In this current case, the SSW was triggered following a large high-pressure blocking event over Greenland. This system disrupts the polar vortex, causing the frigid polar air to spill south, in this case, unleashing an Arctic blast south over the United Kingdom and continental Europe.

Disruptions to the polar vortex have been happening more frequently and with greater intensity in recent years, in part due to the greater climate crisis. Two of the main contributors include the moderation of the temperature differential as the Arctic warms exponentially. This polar warming is associated with a weaker vortex that is more prone to disruption, and thus, southerly dips. Similarly, the warming Arctic is also associated with a less stable jet stream, which gives rise to more extreme weather.

The Met Office warns that the polar air and potential icy conditions will continue through the weekend and are likely to cause various degrees of travel chaos and uncertainty, as well as electrical outages that could isolate more rural communities. Keep some food, water and warm kit in your car if you need to head out on the road in the event of travel disruptions!

Do you need a place to stay? Find a spot near you at https://www.warmwelcome.uk. With the cost of heating being up 96% compared with last year, a warm place to live is beyond the reach of an increasing number of Britons. Luckily, there are more than 4000 warm banks around the country where you can have a warm place to stay without any cost–and some with wifi and food available (sometimes at a cost). Worried about a four-legged friend in this cold spell? The RSPCA is full of tips to keep your feathered and furry friends safe!

Image: www.severe-weather.eu

LATEST NEWS & ALERTS

ARCTIC RISK INDICATORS

The following gauges show up-to-date data regarding key indicators in the Arctic. These indicators clearly point to the crisis at hand.

Greenland rate of ice loss
4.5 hundred thousands l/s
on average in 1986-2015
4.5 tons per second
on average in 1986-2015
Worldwide number of disasters
265 disasters
more events in 2022 in comparison to 1970s
183 disasters
more events in 2022 in comparison to 1980s
100 disasters
more events in 2022 in comparison to 1990s
Arctic Sea Ice Extent
1,060,750 km²
below 1981-2010 average on 26-Mar-2023
409,555 mi²
below 1981-2010 average on 26-Mar-2023
Arctic Amplification
2.81 times
faster than global average in last 30 years
2.59 times
faster than global average in last 50 years
2.49 times
faster than global average in last 70 years
Arctic Wildfire emissions
0.19 megatonnes CO₂e
CO₂e emissions in 2023 so far
Arctic Air Quality (PM2.5)
2.72 microgram per cubic meter
on 21-Mar-2023