The extent of sea ice in Antarctica in March was almost 30 percent below the average for the month. This was the second lowest level for March, after a record low in February, the EU climate change service Copernicus announced on Thursday. In the Arctic, too, the expansion was below average. “Climate monitoring is needed to understand these rapid and ongoing changes at both poles,” said the service’s deputy director Samantha Burgess, according to a statement.
For comparison, the Copernicus experts use data from the reference period from 1991 to 2020. With the help of measurements and satellite images, they regularly document the effects of ongoing man-made global warming.
Second warmest March on record
Globally, last March was the second warmest since records began. In southern and central Europe, temperatures were well above average, while in northern Europe they were often below. March was also warmer than usual in North Africa, parts of Russia and most of Asia, and new temperature records were set in many places.
There were also increasing weather extremes in March: According to Copernicus, the Iberian Peninsula experienced significantly drier conditions than usual for the time of year, which in some cases led to forest fires. In parts of the USA, Asia and Africa, on the other hand, significantly more wet conditions were experienced, which in some cases led to flooding.
