Europe is already in the wrath of an Arctic blast, but a “meteorological hammer” is about to drop on the USA as well, gripping all but the westernmost regions in days or weeks of below-normal temperatures, supercell thunderstorms, blizzards and nor’easters.

All this extreme winter weather is because the jet stream is in an extremely amplified pattern, with huge swings north and south. Those southerly kinks allow Arctic air to plunge far southward, fueling storms that feed on temperature contrasts and bringing snow to wide swaths of land areas. These amplified jet-stream patterns are expected to occur more often as the Arctic warms much faster than elsewhere, and Mother Nature seems to be on board.

If you’re in the USA and need a warm place to stay, text SHELTER and your ZIP code to 43362.

The Arctic doesn’t just spell cold for the Northern Hemisphere but amplifies risks around the world. For more information on global risks from Arctic warming look HERE.

The most northern town in Alaska, Utqiaġvik (71°N) reached 40°F/4.5°C on Monday, more than 37°F above the average high temperature for this time of year. Monday’s temperature not only surpassed the previous #December record (34°F) set in 1932 but also exceeded the temp on any date from October 30-April 22 since 1920.

This extreme weather is the result of several conflating factors that are directly related to the rapidly warming northern regions. The volume of sea ice in the #Arctic has reduced by 75% since the 1980s, leading in part to the amplification of Arctic warming. This week’s high is also the result of a strong storm that rapidly compressed southerly winds causing 2m temperatures to skyrocket from 25°F to 40°F in 30 minutes.

This December record is now the fifth all-time record in five separate months since 2015.

This weather has global impacts. To understand these wide-reaching consequences, explore the Arctic Risk Platform.

To check current conditions in Utqiaġvik, visit the NOAA meteorological station website.

Temperatures in Europe have increased at more than twice the global average over the past 30 years – the highest of any continent in the world. This rapid warming contributes to exceptional heat, wildfires, floods and other climate change impacts that affect society, economies and ecosystems, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

The State of the Climate in Europe report states, “Temperatures over Europe have warmed significantly over the 1991-2021 period, at an average rate of about +0.5 °C per decade. As a result, Alpine glaciers lost 30 meters in ice thickness from 1997 to 2021. The Greenland ice sheet is melting and contributing to accelerating sea level rise.  In summer 2021, Greenland saw a melt event and the first-ever recorded rainfall at its highest point, Summit station.”

The report continues “In 2021, high impact weather and climate events led to hundreds of fatalities, directly affected more than half a million people and caused economic damages exceeding US$ 50 billion. About 84% of the events were floods or storms.”

Whilst the EU has cut greenhouse gas emissions by 31% between 1990 and 2020 this does not protect them from the affects of climate change. Specifically rapid Arctic warming amplifies global risks around the planet.

Climate vulnerability discussions often focus on unpreparedness and nations who struggle to fund adaptation and mitigation measures, but this report highlights that even the most prepared regions cannot escape the effects of a rapidly warming planet:

“Europe is also one of the most advanced regions in cross-border cooperation in climate change adaptation, in particular across transnational river basins. It is one of the world leaders in providing effective early warning systems, with about 75% of people protected. Heat-health action plans have saved many lives from extreme heat.

Read more about the global risks from rapid Arctic warming HERE.

For more information on this story visit the BBC.