At 18.5°C, Antarctica Hotter Than Srinagar, Breaks Previous Record

It was in March of 2015 when Antarctica last witnessed its hottest day at 17.5°C. This year, according to 'Qunit.com' Antarctica outdid itself by setting another record of the warmest temperature ever recorded at 18.3°C. 

According to the Argentinian research station thermometer, the latest high-temperature record beats the previous record by 0.8°C. Last week the coldest place on Earth was warmer than cities like New York in the USA and Srinagar in India.  

Climate Scientist's Opinion on the Record

“The reading is impressive as it’s only five years since the previous record was set and this is almost 1°C higher,” James Renwick, a climate scientist at Victoria University of Wellington, told The Guardian. “It’s a sign of the warming that has been happening there that’s much faster than the global average.”

Earth saw its hottest January on record this year, making 2019 the second-warmest year recorded. As per the World Meteorological Organization, the Antarctic Peninsula, which the northwest tip near to South America, is one of the fastest-warming regions of the planet. With almost a 3°C increase in temperature over the past 50 years, about 87% of the glaciers along the west coast have retreated. 

Global warming is causing so much melting at the South Pole that it is causing the global sea level to rise by at least 10 ft over centuries.