Temperature would have reached 38 degrees Celsius in Siberia
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Tuesday (23) that it is trying to confirm reports of a record temperature measurement of over 38 degrees Celsius in Siberia, saying that they are “worrying” but that they seem to match the heating trends.
WMO asked Russian authorities to confirm the 38 degree Celsius measurement reported in the Russian city of Verkhoyansk, north of the Arctic Circle, on 21 June.
“We saw satellite images and it’s just a red mass. It is impressive and worrying, ”said WMO spokeswoman Clare Nullis at a press conference in Geneva.
The Arctic is warming twice as fast as the global average, and this year an unusual Siberian spring has melted surface ice and broke river ice earlier than usual.
Professor Randall Cerveny, WMO’s rapporteur on climate and extreme climatic events, said that a team “provisionally recognized this observation as legitimate”, which for him is consistent with other regional data.
Siberia has witnessed “exceptional warmth” in recent weeks, added WMO.
The Geneva-based United Nations agency expects to receive news from the Russian weather agency within days, and will then begin its own verification process to find out if the measurement is a historical record.
In February, the organization reported that an Antarctic research base recorded the highest temperature ever on the continent. “Month after month we are surprised, concerned with the temperature measurements we see,” said Nullis.
