The most intense heat wave ever recorded on Earth happened in Antarctica last year, scientists say
Pauline Askin/Reuters
- The most intense heat wave ever recorded on Earth happened in Antarctica last year, a new study revealed.
- Eastern Antarctica spiked by almost 70 degrees Fahrenheit over their recorded average.
- The research team said the heat wave was caused by anomalous air circulation near Australia.
Researchers recently discovered that the most intense heat wave ever recorded happened last March.
And it was in the coldest region on Earth.
Eastern Antarctica saw a spike of about 70 degrees Fahrenheit above average that month, according to a study published in the peer-reviewed journal Geophysical Research Letters. The region was at 5 degrees Fahrenheit at the peak of the heat wave when it should've been near -65.2 degrees Fahrenheit, the study says.
Researchers attributed the heat wave to an anomalous air circulation pattern near Australia, but the team did find that the climate crisis worsened the heat wave by about 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit.
John Wille, a meteorologist not involved with the study, told The Washington Post the odd weather patterns near Australia may have been worsened by a warming climate.
"It's possible that climate change influenced the atmospheric dynamics like the tropical convection anomalies that led to the heat wave, but it is very difficult to quantify these things," Wille told the outlet.
The team predicts future heat waves in East Antarctica could grow warmer by roughly 9-10 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the study.