Arctic sea ice has hit a record low for the month of March, according to a new report by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). Scientists reveal that this marks the fourth consecutive month of record lows, with sea ice extent measuring 6% below average.
“This is the lowest March level since satellite monitoring began 47 years ago,” the C3S report stated. March is typically when Arctic sea ice reaches its maximum extent each year, making these findings particularly alarming.
The Antarctic isn’t faring much better. The report highlighted that Antarctic sea ice extent in March was the fourth-lowest on record, at 24% below average.
Globally, March 2023 was recorded as the second-warmest March ever, with average surface air temperatures soaring to 14.06 degrees Celsius. This is 0.65 degrees above the 1991–2020 average and 1.60 degrees higher than pre-industrial levels. Remarkably, it’s the 20th time in the past 21 months that global temperatures have exceeded the critical threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
“Europe experienced its warmest March on record,” said Samantha Burgess, deputy director of C3S. “Some regions faced their driest March in nearly five decades, while others dealt with unprecedented rainfall.”
The C3S bases its findings on comprehensive data from satellites, ships, aircraft, and weather stations worldwide. Their monthly climate reports focus on changes in global surface air and sea temperatures, sea ice cover, and hydrological variables.
