Temperatures measured more than 30°C higher than normal at this time of year were recorded in East Antarctica this week. This is what some French experts said.
source† BELGA
On Friday, a temperature of -11.5 degrees Celsius was measured at the Concordia research base, which is located at an altitude of more than 3,000 meters. “This is an absolute record, surpassing -13.7 degrees Celsius on December 17, 2016,” says meteorologist Etienne Kapikian of Météo-France.
Near the Antarctic base of Dumont Dorville, a record temperature of + 4.9 ° C was recorded for March, while at this time of year the temperature drops again – summer is gradually coming to an end. . The minimum temperature was 0.2°C per day on March 18th.
“Days without freezing temperatures happen sometimes (in Dumont-d’Urville), but never after February 22,” says Gaëtan Heymes, also associated with Météo-France. He talks about “historically moderate” temperatures, which range from 30 to 35 degrees Celsius above seasonal averages.
According to researcher Jonathan Wylie, affiliated with the Institute of Geosciences in Grenoble, “The Antarctic heat wave is changing what we thought was possible for Antarctic weather.”
It is still too early to confirm that the exceptional temperatures are caused by climate change. What is certain is that the increased frequency of heat waves, which are also more intense than before, is one of the most visible signs of climate change.