Polar Climate is a meteorological term for Arctic regions with mid-average temperature for the warmest month in the year of less than 10°C. This year, some regions crossed that mark.
Regions with a polar climate cover more than 20% of the Earth's area. Most of these regions are far from the equator and near the poles, and in this case, winter days are extremely short and summer days are extremely long. Such areas usually have glaciers and permafrost. Svalbard, Norway’s Arctic Archipelago, has been measured as having Polar Climate, up until this July, according to the Meteorological Institute.
Climate scientist Helga Tilley Tajet said: “For the first time, we have measured temperatures above Polar Climate at Arctic stations. That is middle temperatures at 10 degrees or more. Two stations had above. Svalbard airport was the warmest with an average temperature of 10,1 degrees. Pyramiden had 10 degrees. The temperature at Svalbard airport is 3,1 degrees higher than normal."
Never before has the average monthly temperature at Svalbard been measured above 10°C.
Aruna Gaitonde, Editor in Chief of the Asian Bureau, Rough & Polished
