Geneva. Antarctic sea ice hit record lows last month, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Monday, a finding that climate change experts called worrying.
The WMO said Antarctic sea ice levels last month – the hottest June on record – were at their lowest since satellite observations began, 17% below average.
“We are used to seeing these large reductions in sea ice in the Arctic, but not in the Antarctic. This is a huge decrease,” Michael Sparrow, head of the World Climate Research Program, told reporters in Geneva.
Global sea surface temperatures reached record levels for the time of year in May and June, according to the WMO, which warned that warming of the world’s oceans was spreading rapidly beyond its surface.
“It’s not just the surface temperature, but the whole ocean is heating up and absorbing energy that will stay there for hundreds of years,” the WMO said. “The alarm bells are ringing especially loud due to the unprecedented sea surface temperatures in the North Atlantic.”
The organization noted that the weather pattern of The boywhich has recently emerged, will increase temperatures both on land and in the oceans, which could lead to more marine heat waves and extreme temperatures.
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