East Antarctica Hits 28°C Above Normal During Current Heatwave

News Briefing, 2 August 2024

East Antarctica is currently experiencing a heatwave in the middle of winter of up to 28°C above normal. This is the second major heat wave to afflict the region in the past two years, and is expected to persist for another 10 days. Temperatures remain at around -20°C, driven by a weakened polar vortex (a system of cold air and low pressure circulating around South Pole) that has triggered a sudden stratospheric warming event. This high warming may also have been intensified by near-record-low Antarctic sea ice cover and warm waters for this time of year. Previously, the largest heat wave in Antarctica — and indeed anywhere in the world — occurred in March 2022, at 39°C above normal. Formal attribution of the March 2022 event to human factors has not yet been confirmed; however, an earlier record-breaking heatwave in the Antarctic Peninsula in February 2020, which led to the highest recorded temperature in the Antarctic mainland (18.3°C at Esperanza Station), concluded a likely significant contribution from fossil-fuel burning.

News briefing: https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2024/07/31/antarctica-heat-wave-warming-climate/